Frigid Future
by ConnorRambles
Summary: A new foe has come to Earth, seeking vengeance for the death of his clan. However, where Cooler expected to find the warrior that murdered his family, he finds that Earth and its heroes have all but been annihilated by the Androids of the newly reborn Red Ribbon Army. Now, the fate of the planet rested in the hands of one of the universe's most cruel beings.
1. Chapter 1: Lesser Evil

**Hooooooooly crap I'm posting something. To be honest? Kinda super nervous about this ._. I haven't posted anything in awhile. To any followers of my other stories wanting an explanation, I'll have one on the profile. I'm really sorry for lack of updates guys, but hopefully you'll enjoy this. The premise of the story is heavily inspired by Cosmic Cannon's Misadventures series, and Frozen Heart story. Both great reads, and WAY better than this story will turn out to be.**

* * *

One would have expected to feel something. Pity, sadness, mourning, some semblance that they had lost something important. Cooler only stared at the planet Earth with a hint of disgust in his scarlet eyes.

It was a miserable ball of dirt. The site that marked the end of Frieza's horrid reign over the Planetary Trade Organization. Cooler refused to call it by its new name when their father passed leadership over to Frieza. When his family's ship was destroyed on Earth, certain, treasonous officers in the PTO kept the information to themselves. With the Frieza, their father, and the King's Generals gone, nearly eighty percent of the PTO banded together under a select few officers to regain their freedom, and to end the Cold lineage once and for all. They believed that King Cold and Frieza were the most powerful beings in the universe, and they believed Frieza's claims of being the mightiest in the universe.

They were wrong.

Unfortunately, those officers leading the rebellion underestimated the wrath of Cooler. Although the rebels were larger in number, and eager to break free from the tyrannical grip of the Cold Clan, none could match the power of Cooler, his elite Armored Squadron, or the last of the King's General's, Suika. They often spear headed the assaults against many rebellions on hundreds of planets, while the loyalists mopped up the rest and restored order in their wake. After witnessing the destructive power Cooler wielded, many rebels quickly changed sides to keeps themselves alive. Unfortunately for many, Cooler was not in the business of mercy, and slaughtered more than he spared to make an example. If ruthlessness and violence was all the 'Frieza Force' understood, then that's all they would get.

Cooler ruled now, and his first order of business as Emperor of the Universe was to wipe out the planet where Frieza and King Cold were killed by the alleged Super Saiyan.

Frieza losing was one thing. The fool never trained a day in his entire life, and because of it his power never grew. However, King Cold's death was impossible to imagine. Even with Frieza's unnaturally high power level, his final form never exceeded their father's. Being spoiled by the King did little to give Frieza any motivation to do so either.

"Sire, we are getting reports back from zhe planet Earth," Salza announced.

Cooler turned in his hover chair towards the main viewing screen as his top lieutenant brought him out of his thoughts. "What have we learned?"

"Zhe data is coming in now." Salza's fingers worked their magic over the keyboards. "Neiz, magnify zhe image!"

"On it!" The tallest of Cooler's Armored Squadron on his console and brought up the ball of dirt known as Earth so that it took up the entire screen. Here, Cooler could get a closer look at the blue planet wrapped with white clouds. "It's a Class M planet sire. According to reports salvaged from King Cold's flagship...this planet's total population now is seventy seven percent lower than it was when Frieza and your father arrived ten years ago!"

"Ha! Maybe King Cold put them on the fast track to genocide before the monkey took him down," Dore exclaimed.

"No," Cooler responded. The monarch's scarlet eyes stared at the planet carefully, feeling his men all watching him in return. "According to reports on Namek, there was a half breed Saiyan. Apparently he was a native of this planet, which of course means..."

"Zhese humans share similar biology wizh zhe Saiyan pigs," Salza concluded. "Even if Frieza and King Cold managed to wipe out most of zhe population, if zhey bred like Saiyans, zhere population would not be so low still."

"Exactly Salza. Furthermore, from what we gathered of those treacherous rebels, Frieza and my father weren't on this planet for more than an hour before their transmission stopped. Even with a platoon of my father's finest soldiers, there's no way that they could plummet the population so drastically before they were confronted by Earth's defenders." Cooler scowled and tensed his shoulders. Something was very wrong on this dirtball. "Salza, report."

"Coming in now sire!" Salza worked diligently. It seemed that Earth only had one network on the whole planet, with primitive security that the genius Brench had no problems hacking into. "Zhis seems to be zhe planet's military power sire. Pulling it up on zhe main view."

Salza opened what he assumed was a video folder, which the system quickly broke down and reformatted to their advanced systems. What they saw was not what any of them expected to see. The video was of thousands, possibly millions of identical soldiers wearing dark blue uniforms emblazoned with the same symbol on their breast, marching across the planet, invading cities, slaughtering civilians and conquering territories. It wasn't all that different from what many of them were use to when conquering planets, but the sheer numbers that this Earth army had didn't seem to fit with the information they had collected so far.

"Salza..."

"Zh-zhis is older footage sire, from..." Salza's fingers clacked away on a few buttons, "Almost zhree years after your family's murder!?"

The video footage continued of the armies marching through a metropolis on Earth. It wasn't long before a group of flying warriors came in and bombarded the army with energy blasts. Cooler focused on the warriors, two of which were wearing identical orange outfits, and the other was wearing some sort of ceremonial looking garb. A few of Earth's defenders most likely.

"Sire, look..." Cooler took his gaze off the saviors of the city and to the smoking piles of machinery that they reduced the attacking army too. "They were just robots," Neiz said.

"It appears so..." The three warriors charged in and attacked the robots, wiping them out with ease. Cooler could tell through their fighting style that the three warriors had power that exceeded even Frieza's Elite soldiers. "Salza, find a newer video. These fighters had no problem with an army, I very much doubt that the Super Saiyan would let them destroy the planet's population that he loved so much."

"Computer, analyze and bring up all relative information on 'heroes of zhe Earth' out of zhe data banks!"

Dozens of files popped up from Earth's data banks about the 'heroes.' A group of their strongest warriors known as the Z Fighters opposed the military superpower known as the Red Ribbon Army. Many of the files included their previous battle with the Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa, as well as the long struggle with the Red Ribbons. There were bios for each of them as well. Cooler recognized three of them from the video clip. The warriors Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin. Their bios listed them as killed in action. The same could be said of every last one of the Z Fighters, including Cooler's prize.

"No..." The bio for Son Goku, the man who defeated Frieza on Namek, and who killed Cooler's family on Earth was labeled as killed in action. Cooler could feel every muscle in his body tense up with rage. "Salza..."

The lieutenant only needed to be told once before he pulled up video files with anything on Son Goku. The first of many videos had him fighting alongside his allies against the armies of robots. It wasn't long before the Z Fighters were attacked by seven rather particular fighters belonging to the Red Ribbon Army. Unlike the legions of identical foot soldiers, these seven warriors were each unique, different from each other, and stood out like a sore thumb compared to the masses. The only thing that showed their ties to the robot army was that peculiar red symbol somewhere on their person.

When the fighting broke out, the seven new arrivals managed to put the Z Fighters through their paces. In some cases, the new fighters even managed to hold an edge over the weaker heroes. It wasn't until the Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta both turned into what Cooler could only assume were Super Saiyan forms, and the Namekian removed his weighted clothing. Only then did the tides seem to turn in the Z Fighters' favor.

Cooler scowled furiously before Salza started pulling up more clips of the same thing. The Androids would attack, the Z Fighters would stop them, but fail to destroy their seven leaders time and time again as they escaped from every last skirmish.

"How did these blasted things kill that monkey," Cooler wondered with a vicious snarl.

"M-maybe these reports are wrong," Dore said.

Cooler was about to snap at the brute when something new came on the screen. "Salza!" At the cry of his master, Salza played the video instead of just speeding through it. Cooler's focus was entirely on the screen now, staring at what he assumed were two new Androids that had appeared.

 _Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo floated across from the pair of Androids. "Well, you're both definitely some kind of new model," Goku said._

" _Don't lump us together with those hunks of garbage," the black haired one said with a smirk. "We were designed specifically to kill you by our creator, Doctor Gero."_

" _We're the ultimate models," the blonde female added with an identical look on her face. "I am Android 18, and this is my brother 17."_

" _Your names are mud as far as I'm concerned," Piccolo said. "You're just like the others, hunks of junk waiting for the scrap heap."_

" _Big words coming from a bipedal slug," 18 responded. "If you'd like to put your money where your mouth is, then bring it on. Or do you need to hide behind your Super Saiyan buddies for that?"_

" _We don't need the Namekian to destroy you," Vegeta snapped. "If your little friends would stop running away, they would see the might of a true Saiyan warrior!"_

 _17 and 18 both chuckled at the Prince's arrogance, then floated apart to gain some distance from one another. They spared no more words, and instead welcomed the challenge the strongest of the Z Fighters offered._

 _Vegeta powered up to a Super Saiyan and charged towards 17. Piccolo went after 18, followed by a Super Saiyan Goku._

Cooler watched carefully as the fight erupted. It was clear from the beginning that the Namekian stood no chance against the Androids, but the combined might of two Super Saiyans working together managed to keep up. For all their boasting about being superior, they only seemed roughly equal to the combined might of Vegeta and Goku.

While the fight astonished his men, Cooler stared on in silence. He noticed that while the Saiyans were beginning to grow winded, the Androids never seemed to tire. A benefit of being an artificial construct to be sure. In comparison though, Goku and Vegeta were clearly more experienced and well trained fighters. Even with lesser energy, it would be dangerous to assume that the Saiyans weren't a threat.

But there was something about Goku in particular. He had been struggling against the Androids harder than Vegeta. Had the prince the stronger of the two after Namek?

"Something is effecting him," Cooler murmured with realization as he saw Goku clutch his chest.

 _Goku's fatigue caught up to him when both 17 and 18 each landed a boot on his chest. The Super Saiyan crashed into the street and howled in agony, clutching his gi in pain._

 _Vegeta stopped and stared down at Goku, "Kakarot, what the hell are you doing?!" The Saiyan prince had no time to wait for an answer, as both Androids started assaulting him on two fronts, leaving him to defend himself._

" _Goku, what's wrong," Piccolo shouted._

 _Before any of the Z Fighters could react, a mass of chrome gunk dove onto Goku's body. The pressure crushing down on his chest only made him cry out louder, before a hand made of the substance silenced him._

" _Then...it's finally happened...Doctor Gero's plans are finally realized..." Android 1 chuckled deeply as his body was covered with bursts of lightning flowing around his form as he began to drain the Super Saiyan of his vast reservoirs of energy._

" _Goku," Krillin shouted and charged forward with the others. The Z Fighters were abruptly stopped by the other Androids under 1's command, which was more than enough to keep them occupied while he sucked Goku of all his power._

" _You may be weakened, but this power will bring me closer to perfection," 1 stated with delight. His burning red eyes stared into Goku's. The hero of Earth began to lose his strength, his body fighting against him with whatever energy he had left. "I shall become the ultimate Android! Nothing will be able to stop me now that you're dea—,"_

The transmission stopped abruptly. Cooler just stared at the blank screen as Salza frantically tried to bring it back. The galactic monarch leaned back in his hover chair and scowled. "Don't bother Salza. I've seen all I need to know." His men turned to him for clarity. Cooler was still putting the pieces together, but it was clear that after losing Son Goku, the Androids would have no problem taking over the planet. "These Androids are a threat...the two strongest ones will be avoided at all costs by you three. The rest...it's difficult to gauge the power level of those lesser warriors with your own, but any and all Androids will be treated as a serious threat. Understood?"

"Yes sire!"

"Get ready to scan the planet. Once we find the location of those mechanical monsters, we're heading down there to obliterate each and every last one of them." Cooler gently pulled himself above his throne. The monitor showed the Androids responsible for robbing the tyrant of his prize, of clearing his family's shame. Androids 17, 18, and the band of misfits that fought Earth's protectors at every turn. "These things...these Androids have unknowingly sewed the seeds to their own demise."

The Arcosian ruler stared at the smug faces of 17 and 18, funneling all of his hatred and anger towards the pair. "Once I get my hands on these insufferable _things_ , I'm going to make them rue the day they were taken off the assembly line. If I can't have the blood of the man who destroyed my family, who sent _my_ empire into a civil war for the last decade, then his murders will pay his price with their lives!" Cooler's power exploded around him, overloading several systems that crumbled under the pressure. Even his elite squadron became unbalance by the burst.

"Find them," Cooler snarled. "Find these Androids."

His men dutifully got to work without question. They understood their master's motivation. It was honor that drove him. Unlike Frieza, Cooler took pride in helping to build the PTO. He could never forget the shame, the humiliation, when King Cold named Frieza as the heir to the throne instead of Cooler. The little brat was always spoiled by father, due to the 'blessing' he turned out to be.

 _I count my blessings every day to know you didn't inherit your father's arrogance, my Icling..._

Cooler was superior to Frieza. And he would prove it once and for all to the entire universe that had made him a laughingstock while Frieza's name was the one they feared. He would take second place to no one any longer.

 _But I see that drive in you...and it worries me, son..._

He was the more worthy one. His thoughts of Frieza turned to bitter disgust. Never train a day in your life, and eventually someone is going to become stronger. The universe moves forward, and it seemed like things were going a bit too quickly on Earth. Super Saiyans and now Androids. Had they discovered this planet sooner and Frieza might as well have destroyed it like Planet Vegeta. Once Cooler destroyed Earth himself, he could finally be done cleaning up Frieza's messes, and then he could return to ruling his own empire in peace.

"Uh oh..."

"I don't like that sound, Salza." The lieutenant was quick to face his commander.

"Sir, zhere a-appears to be no trace of any truly strong power levels on zhe planet. Certainly none high enough to zhreaten your father." Cooler's piercing stare shifted over to Salza. He was not in the mood to hear, 'we don't know' from his most competent soldier. "However sire, I do have a lead! Several small power levels gazhered in one area, dropping off rapidly. It appears zhat whatever it is, zhey are fighting against a force our scanners cannot pick up. If I may be so bold, I believe zhis would be zhe best place to start our search."

The tyrant found himself smirking as Salza once again proved his competence. "Excellent work. Men, we're heading down to the planet. Prepare for landing."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Once his men got to work, Cooler stared out at Earth. He never thought anything in the universe could get his blood boiling like his brother. The planet itself was a hell of a contender for the title of 'biggest pain in the ass.' And soon, just like Frieza, it would be erased from existence.

* * *

"Get back! Get the hell back!"

"We're screwed! We are all so dead!"

Another explosion to her left, and three soldiers were sent flying through the air in front of Vi's eyes. "Shit!" She turned sharply and fired her sidearm into the drones chasing her. They fell, one-by-one, with each bullet she shot. Once the last one was down, she turned and ran away from the approaching armada.

Thousands of their enemies were ready for them. It was a setup, a trap, and the Resistance walked right into it.

Three squads were destroyed before the groups were even in their positions. It was supposed to be a simple ambush of the Red Ribbon's supply lines. Now they were the ones ambushed, outnumbered a hundred to one. Their drones, their heavy machines, even a couple of the Androids themselves. The Red Ribbons were ready to wipe out humanity's last standing army.

"If you're gonna go down, go down swingin'!" Even over the deafening sounds of war and death around her, Vi heard the Boss's voice barking out orders. She knew their luck would run out eventually. They all knew. But the least they could do was drag as many of those Androids into oblivion with them as they could.

The rest of Earth's defenders took their stand and threw whatever they could at the robots. Bullets, rocks, boots, knives, even fists. Some of the weaker robots fell. Others continued forward and killed any human in their way, while the heavy units in the back launched explosive shots down throughout their ranks.

Vi could feel a chilling grip around her as she shot into the mob of robots. Her blue eyes shifted skyward where four Androids loomed overhead. If there was any chance of surviving the Red Ribbon's armies, the last chance of hope for the Resistance died with the Androids' appearance.

It was over. Death was hovering just above her head to watch humanity's extinction.

A loud crash shook the ground. Whatever bomb went off, it did so a fair distance outside of the battle zone. When the Red Ribbons stopped attacking, that's when Vi felt Death's hands get colder against her skin.

"What the hell was that," someone whispered.

"Shut up," another person snapped.

Whatever happened, it had the Androids worried. Did Gohan show up? Or was it the other two, the Devil's Pair? There wasn't anything higher on the Red Ribbon's hit list than those two threats.

The tense pause in battle continued for minutes, but it felt like hours. At this point, all it took was one snap decision from the Androids for their army to tear the Resistance apart. But if they did, then it left them open to whatever the new threat was. And something told Vi it wasn't Gohan that was making an appearance.

A nearby explosion went off on the Red Ribbon's ranks. Vi felt in an instant that her life was over, but the robots turned away from her as if she were no longer there. There was a second crash, and another explosion went off, and another, and more one after another as something started tearing through the battlefield, turning the Red Ribbon Android's army into smoking hunks of junk.

It wasn't long before they started firing back at something. Vi and the others were too far from their apparent saviors to see what was going on. The final explosion was by far the largest of them all. The blast radius ended only a few feet away from Vi and the rest of the Resistance, but carried enough force and destructive energy that it took care of the majority of Red Ribbon's army. It was odd, but Vi thought she had heard laughter.

"These bucket of bolts are weaker than those mutant plants those Saiyans used," Neiz cheered. "What were they called?"

"Saiyamen, or something," Dore guessed.

"Zhey were called Saibamen," Salza corrected.

"Focus." The three soldiers turned to their master's command and stayed silent. Cooler stood at the head of his attack, floating in front of the Androids. Though their attired had changed, he recognized the distinct appearances of the Z Fighter's bane. Cooler's Armored Squadron stayed close to his flank as the leader of the Android squad drifted forward.

She was dressed as dark as the emptiest void of space. Her hair was jet black, short, and slicked back, eyes covered by a pair of dark sunglasses. Her tattered overcoat fluttered at her ebony boots as she stared down Cooler and his men. "What...exactly are you?"

"I am here for the Androids that killed Son Goku."

The female Android's head tilted slightly. "Son Goku? After all this time...would it be possible he still had allies?"

"I have no allegiance to this monkey. But he was _mine_ to kill. This planet owes me blood. More specifically, your army, owes me blood."

The Android simply tilted her head to the opposite shoulder and drifted back. "Take them." She gave a gentle wave of her gloved hand, and the other three Androids charged.

Cooler quickly raised his arms to stop his men from meeting their assault. The only thing they knew for certain was that Cooler was the only one who stood a chance. Once he had a proper assessment of the Androids as a significant threat or not, then he could allow his men loose.

Two of the Androids, a woman and a male, rushed first. They were easy for Cooler to track, thanks to their rather flashy and colorful garb. Both of them were fast and precise, but they were leagues below the monarch's skill level as he evaded every strike, every punch and kick they threw at him. The Androids did surprise him however when Cooler finally countered, as they managed to successfully dodge his blows as well. Their tactic became very clear however.

The third Android sent to attack, wearing a more formal military uniform and less colorful than his counterparts, held a blinding orb of pink energy high above his head. Cooler felt a twinge of nostalgia as he thought of Frieza in that moment.

"Blockbuster Bomb!" The ball of energy was sent flying towards Cooler with incredible speed. The tyrant didn't bother to move out of the blast's direction. Despite the orb's size and speed, Cooler effortlessly backhanded the strike and sent it soaring behind him. The detonation echoed from beyond, forming a large blast radius, and a stunned Android before him. "I-Impossible!"

The tyrant's body floated up to rejoin his Armored Squadron, all of whom were grinning at their master's display. "Keep your guard up and you'll be just fine against those three," he informed his men. Cooler's scarlet eyes shifted to the darkly clad Android. "Their commander though, she's mine."

Cooler's forces wasted no time, and immediately raced forward. Their blood was pumping as the warriors spread the fighting out away from the main show.

The monarch floated across from the Android commander, staring daggers at one another. The woman calmly removed her tinted glasses off of her face, and tucked them on the inside of her overcoat. Her bare eyes were razor sharp, cold, and filled with rage. Something about her eyes reminded Cooler of something. Or someone.

"You look a lot like those invaders from ten years ago," she spoke. "Doctor Gero's database recorded the event. Frieza and Cold?"

"My family," Cooler snapped. He was in no mood to update the Red Ribbon's data banks. The trip to Earth gave him enough time to plot his revenge, and now he had to deal with Son Goku's death, that had already passed to the Androids' hands. "Now tell me, Android 17 and 18, _where. Are. They!?_ "

The female vanished in a blink and reappeared in front of Cooler. The Arcosian hissed through his teeth at the superior Android's speed. He raised his arms in an 'X' as the Android spun and slammed her forearm into him. The strength of the attack was far beyond what Cooler measured the other three to be, as he was sent back a fair distance. He broke his stride and launched a blast of blue energy at the Android. She was gone long before the beam reached her location.

Cooler scowled as the Android seemed to have disappeared entirely. He couldn't sense her energy at all, but he knew she was still around. A punishing blow struck Cooler in the back of the neck. He spun around and launched another blast at the area he was attacked. The blast cut through the air, but hit nothing. Cooler growled in fury. "Where is that blasted thing?!"

"To your right!" Cooler looked down as one of the humans shouted at him. He decided to take a chance, and threw his foot up to the right side. He hit something solid, something invisible. No sooner then after the blow landed did the Android seem to materialize out of thin air.

"Got you!" Cooler smirked and raced towards the Android before she could prepare herself. He slammed a punishing knee into her stomach. The Android folded over Cooler's knee, followed up with a double-axe handle to her back. The woman crashed into the ground, raising heavy plates of solid earth up as cracks snaked out from the point of impact.

Cooler shifted his gaze over to the humans once more, noticing that one had a device worn over his eyes. Was the Android using some sort of cloaking device?

The humans cheered below at the alien's apparent victory over the murderous Androids. Cooler snapped his eyes down at them. Something in the pit of his stomach turned. He was more accustomed to the masses cursing his name, or praying for mercy. Cheering and praise were...different.

That was all silenced when the woman came bursting up from the ground, and snapped the neck of the soldier with the scanner over his eyes with a simple twitch of her wrist. The rest of the Resistance cried out in horror as she discarded the body behind her.

"Open fire on that bitch," the Boss shouted. Whatever soldier still had their guns began pulling the triggers. The Android didn't even blink as bullets bombarded her from all sides and bounced off her like kamikaze flies.

Before the Resistance ran out of bullets, the Android raced up back to the air, where Cooler waited for her. "Androids 17 and 18 are not apart of the Red Ribbon Army."

"That's cute," Cooler seethed. "I'm sure Salza could always extract the information by whatever computer runs your brain, once I rip it from your shoulders. I've seen the footage. Your forces working with those Androids responsible for destroying Son Goku. They all wore your symbol." Cooler pointed at the red symbol printed on the back of the Android's coat. "They both put Son Goku in a position to be killed by...whatever that silver creature was."

"You're very well informed," the Android stated. "I can only assume that you gained access to our archives somehow." She turned her body to face Cooler directly, then pulled her sunglasses out from her breast pocket. "If you viewed our more recent history, you would realize Androids 17 and 18 were not completed. They're renegades, who would sooner destroy everything left on this planet instead of conquering it. That is the goal of the Red Ribbon Army. Not wanton destruction."

"Suppose I believe any of that, do you expect me to believe that you have no means of tracking your fellow Androids?" The woman remained silent. Even behind her glasses, Cooler could steel feel that icy stare. And her silence was all the answer he needed. "As I said before...I could always sever your head from your body and extract all the information I want that way."

"You're more than welcome to try, though don't expect it to be easy by any means," the Android warned. She lifted her hand up to view, and her fingers began to twitch and shift erratically.

The message to retreat was sent to the other three, Androids 5, 6, and 7. Android 6 was less than pleased as he and the other two rejoined Android 2. The alien across from her didn't even bat an eye to their arrival. The nerve. "You can't be serious! You want us to retreat!? We can destroy these invaders!"

"If you used your scanners instead of your ego, you would realize that this one can't be taken down with brute force," 2 snapped. "We will regroup with the main force. Perhaps this monster can dispose of Gero's mistakes for us."

"And you think I'll just let you all walk away?" The alien was joined by his soldiers. Even 6 would never admit to struggling to beat the green skinned brute. If he had more time, he could have destroyed the monster.

"Android 5, provide us the means," 2 ordered.

The brightly dressed redhead chuckled as he threw his arms out in a flourish. "As you wish boss. I know I can be quite...flashy." Android 5 lifted his hands up towards the sun above.

"Cover your eyes!" The humans knew 5's tricks, but all 2 cared about was escaping the new blood in front of her.

Android 5's palms took in the light from the sun, reflecting and magnifying it with the blinding force of a hundred flashbang grenade. One that could last several seconds long. The flashes nearly seared their foe's retinas. All four aliens howled in pain and covered their faces in their hands, throwing out a colorful string of curses.

Android 2 stared at the group, feeling the righteous fury to kill them all now. She could easily kill the weaker three aliens, but their master was another story. She would need the help of Android 1 in order to stand against such a monster. But for the time being, if he wanted to hunt Android 17 and 18 then she was more than happy to let them destroy each other.

"Let's go." While their foes were still blinded, Androids 2, 5, 6, and 7 sped off into the horizon.

"DAMN IT!" Cooler's entire being coursed with rage. If the Androids didn't take this opportunity to attack, then they were running away.

"D-damn it! Wh-what was zhat!?"

"Some kind of...flash bomb," Neiz stated as he tried to see through squinted lids. The Zaltian blinked rapidly as some of his blindness started to fade away. "I-I can't see them sire!"

"They ran away! Those wretched little...!" Dore was still busy swearing in his brutish, native tongue to contribute to the conversation. Cooler had very particular, savage thoughts about the Android 5 that caused the flash. Whether or not the woman Android was telling the truth, Cooler was going to take pleasure in dismantling the rest of those robots. Army or not, he would not be shamed by a group of second rate trash cans. "Back to the ship! We need a way to find those damn Androids!"

"I think we can help with that!" Cooler stared to the ground at the blackened, blurry figures below. "Take your time. We can help you find those Red Ribbon Androids."

"Zhe Earthlings?"

"Aren't we here to destroy them anyway," Neiz hissed with annoyance. "We don't need their help."

Cooler's vision began to clear, as did the blurry shapes of the people below. He did have a passing thought to just wipe them all out with a single stroke. They would all be dead sooner or later, after Cooler had his revenge anyway.

The galactic monarch floated down before the small rabble. The closer he was, the more he could tell about the Earthlings. They were scared of him, and rightfully so. Covered in dirt, blood, and filth, holding primitive weapons and firearms. It was no wonder that they were so eager to strike a bargain with the first person to show up who could fight the Androids.

One woman stepped forward to meet Cooler. The Arcosian was still squinting, but he could make out most of her features. A wild mane of light blonde hair, piercing green eyes, a scar running down her right cheek, and what he could assume was some sort of uniform so torn and covered with blood and dust that there was nothing noteworthy that could be mentioned about it.

"You can track the Androids?"

"We know where most of their bases are," the woman explained. "And we know where they're going to attack us next. You help save us, and we'll give you the locations so you can get all the revenge you want on those bastards."

Cooler couldn't fight the smirk on his face. There had been many times when a race would surrender to Cooler and his forces for their own survival, but seldom had a people ever sought him for help. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, do you?"

"I know you're cut from the same cloth as those scary ass aliens that showed up almost thirteen years ago, leading an army of other scary ass aliens. Call me crazy, but I'd say appearances run in the family."

It wasn't a direct comparison to Frieza, but it was enough to get a scowl out of Cooler. "My brother and father. The ones killed by the Super Saiyan?"

"There were two Super Saiyans at the time actually. But...yeah, that pair in particular stands out when I look at you."

"And you still want to help me?"

The Boss's features softened as her eyes turned to the ground. "Goku is dead and gone. We're pretty much all that's left defending Earth, and we're losing..." She snapped her gaze back up to meet the gaze of the ruthless tyrant across from her. "You could easily be the most evil, sadistic son of a bitch in the entire universe for all I care. If you want to destroy those Androids, you have the support of the Resistance."

"The enemy of my enemy? Just to clarify, we're not friends."

"Never crossed my mind for a second."

Cooler signaled for his men to join him. Even Dore had enough time for his eyes to readjust from the blinding flash Android 5 used for their escape, and descended with Neiz and Salza. "You said you had ways of tracking the Androids?"

Salza's boots touched the ground as he heard his master. "Zhat is impossible. Even our scouters could not pick zhe Androids up."

"They use some kind of power source," Cooler noted in an impatient tone. "We just need to find a different frequency."

"You won't need to worry about it. We know where the others are headed, and we know exactly where the main Red Ribbon fortress is at." The Boss pulled a small device out from her pocket and pressed a button. A holographic projection of the continent was shown. Over half of the area was covered in red, with the symbol for the Red Ribbon stamped throughout the red zone.

"Impressive," Cooler admitted. Even with all the knowledge on their enemies, the Earthlings clearly would never stand a chance in hell against the Androids. But the knowledge helped Cooler immensely. "Salza."

"Already transmitted to zhe ship, sire!"

Their scouters had already scanned the Earthling's map and transmitted the data back to the ship. But Cooler had other uses for the humans. "You said there were other Androids?"

The Boss nodded her head, "One through nine, plus the Devil's Pair, 17 and 18. If you want to get at the ones who killed Goku, you're looking at those two, and Android 1."

The chrome monster. The thing going on about perfection. "Which one dealt the killing blow to Son Goku?"

"The Devil's Pair. But Android 1, the commander of the Red Ribbon Army, put Goku in a position where he couldn't defend himself. These Androids, even if they don't work together, they all had one thing in common. They were created by a man named Doctor Gero, who was hellbent on killing Goku. Every last Android has that programing inside of them. With Goku gone...it seems like they turned their eyes to killing off humanity."

Gero. It was another name Cooler had heard several times over since arriving to Earth. "Seems as if that monkey had a long list of enemies..." Goku's life was still Cooler's to claim. If he couldn't see his family's killer die by his hand, then he would settle for the things that robbed him of his prize. First the Androids, then Cooler would destroy the rest of the planet to wipe out the last traces of his family's ultimate failure. "Where are these other Androids then?"

"If their goal was to wipe out the Resistance for good...I would assume that they're headed towards our base." The Boss pointed towards an area untouched by the red that covered most of the map. Their base was symbolized with a fist, wrapped in a golden flame. "Jingle Outpost. The last base we have. It's a fortress really, but...we've been low on supplies. We tried to ambush what we thought was a Red Ribbon caravan, but...when Android 2 was here, we knew that they were done with us."

"So they drew you out with false information." It was a clever tactic in war. Cooler himself used similar strategies in his younger days, when leading an army of his own. Bait a trap, and if the enemy comes out of their hole then they reveal their weakness. It was obvious at a glance that the Earthlings were desperate. "Salza, lock in the coordinates to that outpost. We're heading there."

"Sir!"

"And make a supply drop from the ship at...these coordinates." Cooler pointed to a small area just past the mountains leading to Jingle Outpost. "Have the ship's computers prepare any and all blasters and armor load in the ship's pods for the humans."

"S-sir, of course!"

He sensed the doubt in Salza's voice, but the knowledge and years of experience the humans had fighting these Androids was a valuable weapon that he couldn't afford to lose. Cooler turned back to the Boss and flashed a smirk her way, "The enemy of my enemy."

"But we're still not friends," she finished, without missing a beat. "We'll meet you there then." Cooler and his men didn't spare another second before they turned and took off towards Jingle Outpost. "Alright everyone, we've got some new toys waiting for us on the way back home! Let's pick them up and take the fight to the Ribbons!"

The Resistance cheered. They were all lucky to be alive, and they were really damn grateful for it. The Boss stared down at her remaining lot. Soldiers, warriors, and most importantly, survivors. And every last one of them wanted the Androids dead and gone. Even if their salvation came from an alien lizard who might be grateful enough, or simply pity what remained of Earth's populace, not to destroy them all once his revenge was complete.

One problem at a time.

* * *

 **So, I know this is a bit late (damn you editing) but a year ago yesterday on Febuary 1st, the universe lost a creative force, better known as Monty Oum. So...yeah, whole big cheesy speech, but the man is an inspiration to me personally. So...this is for all the aspiring creators out there. I'm nervous as crap posting something for the first time in almost eight months, but sometimes you just gotta say screw it and do it anyway.**

 **So, this story I dedicate to Monty, and to all the aspiring creators like myself out there. Go live your dreams damn it. And also leave a review. Those are nice =3**


	2. Chapter 2: Vengeance Strikes

The air became chillier the more Cooler and his men closed in on Jingle Outpost. It wasn't as cold as his home planet could get during certain parts of the year, but it was enough for him to recall a few faded memories of home. The early days when father was planning the creation of the Planetary Trade Organization, before taking to the stars to conquer and spread his Empire.

It had been years since Cooler visited home. When his familial issues were settled, and after securing his position as Emperor of the PTO, maybe it would be due time for the eldest son of Cold to sit in the Arcosian throne proper, as King.

His ascension to power certainly wasn't as Cooler imagined either. But he refused to let Frieza's failures mark him. With Earth destroyed, and his family's murder avenged, Cooler could put everything behind him, and push forward.

"Sire! Zhe supply drop has been made successfully! It will wait for zhe humans to pick it up."

"Good. Have you found a frequency for the scouters that we can scan for the Androids?"

"Not yet sir. It is...difficult based on what sort of device is emitting zhere power."

"Dore and I are helping sire, but not a damn thing is popping up."

"Be sure you're keeping an eye on our distance and the location from this Jingle Outpost too. We'll have to assume the Androids have already made it there." Without having anyway of tracking the Androids via scouter, or with Cooler's capabilities to sense life energy, the only chance they had was finding the Resistance base before the Androids wiped it out completely.

Keeping the Earthlings around was vital for the moment. Their knowledge of the Androids, and their tactics saved Cooler and his men from having to poke around the entire planet hoping to get lucky. It wasn't the first time he had to use a race to his own advantage. Many of the races recruited into the PTO regularly allied themselves freely, in some sort of peaceful negotiation. It was a very common practice when the Empire started, before King Cold transformed it into the galactic army. Not every race had to be enslaved or blasted into servitude.

" _You see? There is a way to do things like this. Now you won't have to destroy half the race to make a point."_

" _Yes...well, my way works just as well."_

" _Genocide is not my goal."_

"We are coming up on zhe Resistance base sire." Cooler's memories were gratefully cast aside thanks to Salza's timely interruption. "Many small power levels...dropping rapidly."

"Then let's go!" Cooler blasted forward, leaving a blue streak in his trail. His men followed with identical colored auras, working to catch up to their master.

* * *

The last acts of desperation were admirable for the humans. Android 1 watched from afar as the Resistance made its final stand. They were held up beyond well in their final haven. It only showed the true fortitude of the former Muscle Tower, though the Resistance did add extra defenses. The tower itself had the wounded, or civilian populace, while the soldiers drew a line in the snow that even thousands of Red Ribbon death machines had trouble cutting through.

"This is so boring!" Android 4 whined. Her lavish, and colorful fur coat flailed as she tossed her arms in the air. "And I'm cold!" She turned sharply to her ludicrously dressed partner in a huff. 4 still never understood why Android 3 liked to dress up like that creepy doll Gero always had. "Hey, 3, have you found a weak spot yet?"

Android 3 brushed the tips of her spiky red bangs to the side as her scanners activated. "Nope...the humans aren't getting pried out of that anytime soon," she replied with a bored tone.

Android 4 growled and cast a hateful glare up to Android 1. "Why don't we just go in there and wipe them out? I know you want to go and just gobble all those bastards up yourself!"

Neither Android 4, nor 1 moved. Android 3 looked back with bored eyes, waiting for the expectant answer. In truth, Android 1 did feel the craving to take what energy he could from the Resistance. If Android 9 wasn't going to keep them around any longer to give him a sense of military accomplishment, why shouldn't 1 get his fill while he could?

The answer of course, was in his programming. His loyalty to the Red Ribbon Army and its commanding officers was absolute.

"We wait for the signal," Android 1 replied. 4 rolled her eyes and just groaned angrily.

Android 3's scanners went off as a power spike set her off. "Huge power level coming this way." This drew the attention of both 1 and 4. "Coming in from the southwest...four large power levels."

The number of energy signatures both caught 1 and 4's attention. "Four?!"

"Gohan and the kid are the only ones with huge power levels," Android 4 stated. "What the hell is this, some kind of trick!?"

"Negative," 3 sighed. If she was as surprised as either 1 or 4, she didn't show it. "Four confirmed power levels."

"What's the threat level," Android 1 asked.

Android 3's eyes flickered and her scanners ticked. "Three of them have a threat level for Android 4 and myself, the fourth will be beyond even your capabilities as you are, Android 1."

"Th-that's impossible," 4 shouted. The only things that threatened Android 1 was the Super Saiyan, and their rebellious siblings.

"My scanners do not lie. Here they are." 3 managed to turn her body to face the approaching targets.

The Androids saw the newcomers approaching from a distance. None of them could reach a logical conclusion. There were no remaining Z Fighters, except Gohan and Trunks, and 3 would say if their traitorous brother and sister were approaching. Who else was on Earth left to challenge them?

The answer was not at all what they were expecting. Then again, what could they have expected? Four extremely powerful aliens coming to Earth seemed as unlikely as a new batch of Z Fighters. The only alien not wearing any type of uniform seemed to be beaming a hateful glare directly at Android 1.

Android 3's scans of the purple one proved fruitful. "This one is of the same race as those invaders, Cold and Frieza."

"The so-called Emperors of the Universe," Android 1 said. Red Ribbon databases were updated heavily after the alien invasion, taking a special interest in the two leaders. It was considered special in 1's view at least. It was the first thing in years that the Red Ribbon Army had taken interest in that wasn't Son Goku and the Z Fighters. "It appears as if the Super Saiyans missed one..."

"And it appears that one of the monkey's murderers is right here in front of me..."

Monkey? Was it talking about Goku? After all these years, why would it matter now?

"This one will be beyond 4's capabilities, as well as my own," Android 3 stated.

4 was not happy in the least at 3's statement. "Android 3, WHY would you say that?!"

"Frieza and Cold also referred to Goku, and Vegeta by the term, 'monkey,' indicating the same level of supremacy and arrogance, while not ultimately unfounded, did lead to their absolute destruction. Furthermore, this one knows of us and our actions on this planet, indicating a level of intelligence and strategic cunning, implying that he would not—,"

"Oh jeez, I got her started on this..."

"Enough," Android 1 ordered.

"This one is stronger than the readings we received from the previous two subjects thirteen years ago. It realizes its own strength," Android 3 stated bluntly. She wasn't wrong. There was no point in overplaying their hand if the purple one could wipe out Android 4 with a single attack.

"They're certainly a weird bunch, huh," Dore whispered.

"Heh, like you have room to criticize." Dore scowled at Neiz, who only snickered.

Cooler had to restrain the urge to smack them both. Their attitude had been getting worse since the start of that civil war. "I don't suppose _you_ have found a frequency to read those blasted things on?" If anyone would be focused, it would be Salza.

"No sire." Salza was still actively dialing through different frequencies as he stared at the new batch of Androids. "Depending on zhat one's composition, it may not be readable on any known frequency."

"It can't be any sort of advanced life form," Cooler argued. "It's a construct, a _thing,_ same as the rest of them."

"I am not arguing zhat my lord," Salza answered apologetically. "It is just...a rather advanced. At just a glance, it is obvious zhat his body is made up of some very different material."

It was one of the biggest freak shows Cooler had come across. The universe was full of much stranger things however. But Android 1 still had the appearance and shape of a bulky humanoid. It was larger than Cooler, but so were two of his own men. The most alien features were its metallic silver color, and its empty red eyes. On closer inspection, its eyes almost looked more like lenses.

The other two Androids were far easier to mistake for humans, were they not flying and wearing the Red Ribbon symbol. For the red haired one, Android 3, it was on the front of her round, spike tipped hat.

The second one had her ebony hair flipped to her left side, with a dark purple strip of hair running down it. Her coat covered her entire body in ivory white fur, and the Red Ribbon emblem resting on her right breast.

One hoped that the particular fashion sense the Androids seemed to had wasn't a representation of fashion on Earth itself. Cooler had witnessed unusual tastes before across the stars, but the Androids were something else.

"I'll give you two trashcans a chance to save yourselves," Cooler offered, directing his attention to the unusually dressed pair. "Tell me where I can find Androids 17 and 18, and I'll only destroy Android 1."

"Calling us trashcans probably isn't the best way to ask for favors! Android 3, we can take him together, right?"

"Indeterminate." Android 3's cold eyes shifted right over to Cooler's men. "Those three however we should have a better chance at destroying. Their power levels match the average Z Fighter's, before 17 and 18 killed them."

Android 4 grinned from ear to ear before she started laughing. Android 1 glared furiously at her, while Android 3 looked over with mild interest. "Well boss, seems like the big guy has it out for you! I can't say I envy you on this one!"

"If you think any of you Androids are going to survive, you're sorely mistaken." Cooler's statement brought 4's laughter to a dead stop. "My family were destined to be the conquerors of the universe! We were the most powerful, the most feared, until that Super Saiyan monkey and my idiot brother disgraced the honor of that name!" Cooler's power started to rise, prompting 3's scanners to feed her the new information as it was processed. "And now, some self entitled bucket of bolts takes away the honor of avenging my family! Army or not, _all_ of you Androids will suffer my WRATH!"

Cooler's aura exploded around him like a small bomb. His men were thrown clear, and even the Androids were pushed back from the winds lashing out from the tyrant. Android 3's emotionless mask finally broke in place of fear as Cooler's power levels continued to rise.

In a blink, the tyrant vanished, slamming his fist into Android 1's face. The blow nearly turned the Android's skull into paste, before Cooler spiked him to the ground with an elbow to the back of his neck. Before the dust even settled, Cooler nosedived straight for the Android.

A blast of raw, white energy came cutting through the cloud of dust Android 1's crash stirred up. Cooler pulled himself back and slapped the beam off course, before unleashing a searing blast in return. The resulting explosion had devastated the earth, forming a large crater to scar the landscape.

"H-holy shit," Android 4 muttered. Android 3 continued to watch with an awestruck look on her face. She had difficulty processing the creature's power. It was definitely stronger than its family that perished all those years ago. He was even stronger than Cold.

Android 3 turned towards Cooler. Thankfully his attention seemed to be focused only on Android 1 for now. Why did he wait over a decade before coming to Earth for his revenge?

The smoke from Cooler's blast began to thin, allowing him to search the area for any sign of Android 1. A blast like that shouldn't have killed something like Android 1, if it had the power to inspire faith in the other two. But Cooler's suppressed power seemed to fool even their scanners. A useful bit of knowledge.

A dark shadow moved behind Cooler, casting its darkness down over him for a brief second. He quickly spun around to face an unscathed Android 1. Before Cooler could act, Android 1 began slamming fists into his body. Cooler took the first several shots before he pulled his body back to gain enough distance to start dodging. Android 1 pursued after him, intent to keep the distance to a minimum. But Cooler managed to stay just out of his reach with each swing.

When Android 1 dove for Cooler, the tyrant vanished from sight, only to reappear in the place Android 1 had been. Before he could turn his chrome head, Cooler drove a punishing knee into the Android's cheek. Cooler followed up by lifting his heel high above his head before crashing it down. Android 1 raced towards the ground before he crashed through several layers of solid rock, raising up plates of earth and stone that cracked apart from the point of impact.

"This is it..." Cooler's body began to spark with electricity, as he compressed his power down as tightly as he could. As he raised his arms out, the bolts seemed to race to his hands, where he started to draw the power in. One of his favorite, new techniques. It was similar to Neiz's Bind Wave, but with more destructive results. "Now DIE!"

Cooler launched the pink-ish purple blast after Android 1. Unlike an ordinary blast, Cooler's Bind Wave expanded when it hit, like a thin balloon before erupting in a forceful detonation that scorched everything caught in its blast radius. The electric energy seared through anything in its wake, while the electric field destabilized. The power eventually became to unstable, and caused the energy Cooler poured into the attack to explode.

Neiz's Bind Wave relied on focused control and precision with his energy, a trait that most Zaltians possessed with some training. Where it would take any other race a lifetime of focus their energy to such a fine state, the Zaltians had an inherit knack for the talent. Even Cooler himself couldn't focus enough to keep a paralyzing Bind Wave in place for too long, but he had enough power to create a new scotched-earth bomb with such an unstable energy blast.

It was truly a horrible way to go, but an effective weapon in recruiting loyalty. Or to incite fear.

"Excellent shot my lord," Neiz cheered. His master using a variation of his own technique was an honor indeed. Although the ability belonged to Cooler. No Zaltian could use the Bind Wave to create such a blast.

"Th-this is bad," Android 4 muttered.

"Extremely," 3 concurred.

Cooler scowled as he looked down at the new pillar of smoke, before floating up above it. He wouldn't risk another ambush.

"Is this all you have? Are all you Androids so weak?!" The tyrant scoffed and then turned his attention to 3 and 4. The ebony haired Android looked ready to run, while the other just seemed to stand by and wait for its destruction. "Worthless..." Cooler raised his finger up to the last two Androids.

Cooler felt something suddenly appear behind him. Android 3 and 4's existence was saved from oblivion thanks to the still living Android 1. The tyrant swung his elbow back, but a powerful arm locked over his, and a second pinned Cooler's other arm to his side.

"I've got you now," Android 1 spoke. "You're quite powerful, _Emperor_. That power will soon be mine! And what a feast your energy will be..." Cooler struggled to break out as he felt Android 1's body suddenly start to melt over him. The Android's body had turned into a looser state, flowing like water, with an icy cold bite. Cooler soon realized the bite was his energy being forcibly sucked out by the chrome creature.

Android 1 sank his fangs in, tearing the power out of Cooler, who let out a pained howl as electricity surged around them. The maniacal Android began to laugh as he fed on Cooler's abundant energy. The tyrant attempted to break the Android's hold by swinging his head back. Instead of a solid smack, Cooler's head was thrown only into more of Android 1's liquefied body.

The chrome creature's mad howls were suddenly replaced with a startled cry, as Salza beamed the him in the back with a blast from his finger. Cooler realized in an instant that the pain had stopped, and quickly broke free from Android 1 with an explosive display of his power. Android 1 broke off of Cooler in chunks, helpless in a semi-formless state floating in the air. He vanished just a second before Cooler unleashed another all-ending blast in his direction.

When Android 1 came back into sight, he was back in his humanoid form, and glaring over at the Armored Squadron. "3, 4, take them alive. I want their power later..."

"So hungry," Android 4 teased.

"That gluttonous behavior is more trouble than it's worth," 3 sighed. "These three are still a threat to us. Don't let your guard down."

Android 3 sped towards Dore, and came to a stop right under him. She raised her hand up and slammed her palm into the brute's chin, knocking him skyward. The crimson colored one moved towards her first. She threw her body up and sent her foot gliding towards Neiz. The creature moved out of the way and grabbed her ankle. Twisting his body around, Neiz sent the smaller Android careening across the snow covered landscape.

"Damn," 3 whined before she crashed through the forest. Trees cracked as her body fell to the ground. She speared right through a thick tree trunk, and bounced off the ground like a trampoline. She hit the ground and rolled onto her back before coming to a stop, eyes gazing up at the sky. She gave a bored little sigh before she sat up, wiping some of the dirt and snow off of her as though nothing had happened. "This is going to be more work than I care for..." She tipped her crooked hat back on her head, and then raced up towards the aliens.

Android 4 appeared before Salza and Neiz. She gave an amused, cold chuckle at their startled expressions before she threw her coat off with one arm towards the pair. The coat was large enough to shield both of their views, as Android 4 moved around behind them. First was the tall one, for laying a hand on her sister.

She moved behind Neiz and slammed her elbow into his back. The crimson alien gave a startled, pained squawk as the blow shot him down into the tree line, as he had done to 3 earlier.

Salza quickly slipped back as the black haired Android threw a menacing spin kick at him. The wind from her leg wiped at his face before she came back around. As she started to swing, Salza pulled his body out of the way of each strike.

"Hold still you little—,"

"As flattered as I am for zhe attention mademoiselle," Salza managed to turn his body around one of the Android's blows, moving around to her side. Salza twisted his body around, and brought a powerful knee crashing into Android 4's stomach. The force of the strike caused 4 to double over with a pained expression on her face as Salza pulled back. "But I must decline!" As Salza lifted his hand above his head to strike Android 4 down, something seized its grip around his wrist, followed very shortly by a boot to the side of the head.

Salza didn't even have time to turn before he felt his attacker's leg slam into him. Thankfully it wasn't on the side with his scouter, or he would be picking broken pieces of it out of his skull. Salza spun himself away from the Android and turned to face them.

Android 3 stood calmly next to an angry and doubled over Android 4. The latter of the two looked ready to skin Salza alive. Salza was still more concerned about Android 3, and that blinding speed she showed. Thankfully, he was put at ease by the arrival of Dore and Neiz. They had the Androids surrounded on all sides.

"Zhis does not seem to bode well for you two," Salza taunted. "Dore, Neiz, zhe one wearing zhe pointed hat, she is stronger zhan she appears!"

Android 4 was flush with rage. Without warning, she crashed into Salza instantly, and followed up by swinging wildly at him. "You don't think I'm strong, huh?! I'll give you a reason to fear me more than her! More than anybody!" She was scarier. She was stronger. She envied no one. She would not envy Android 3.

"There she goes again," Android 3 sighed. She heard Dore and Neiz chuckle behind her. She was still shaking her head at 4's behavior. "I swear, her malfunction is worse than the others..."

"We'll make sure yours stand out among the rest," Dore stated as he cracked his knuckles.

"Let's test how much punishment this one can take before she starts singing!"

Android 3 slowly turned to face Neiz and Dore's confidence, with boredom. "Then again...mine is a constant, if only to preserve myself." She dashed forward faster than Neiz or Dore could trace. They just barely caught her at the bottom of their vision, just before she attacked. Dore caught the elbow racing for his nose. Neiz managed to grab the punch aimed for his face as well. Android 3 hung limply between both aliens, meeting both of their gazes. "Haste makes waste..." The Android's feet shot up and knocked straight into the aliens' chins. The kicks knocked both of them senseless, allowing Android 3 to flip backwards from their reach. "That's the reason for my hesitation..."

Dore and Neiz both groaned as they rubbed their throbbing jaws. Dore was bleeding from the corner of his mouth. "That bitch..."

"Remember what Salza warned us about," Neiz said. "We need to take this one seriously."

Cooler slammed another knee into Android 1's face, throwing the chrome construct into a snow covered rock formation. The Super Saiyan may not have even been worth the effort if he was killed by such lowly creations. All his newfound power, and he couldn't even test it out on a worthy adversary. It was sickening how easy it was to best the first killer of his prize so easily.

"This is impossible," 1 growled. "Your power...I've already taken so much from you!"

"I think that says a lot more about you than it does my power." Cooler rocketed towards 1 and slammed his knee into the Android's silver abdomen. Before 1 was even finished curling in on himself, Cooler slammed a vicious double axe handle over the Android's spine. 1 smashed through the ground again, while Cooler lingered in the air, triumphant yet again. "Worthless trash. You should accept your fate with some dignity and just die by my hand!"

" _NEVER!"_

Android 1 flew up from the ground with the fury of a storm. He brought his knee up to Cooler's chin. The tyrant went sailing backwards as 1 pursued swiftly. "I will not accept death until I am complete! This emptiness, this hunger inside of me, only when it is satisfied will you understand!"

The final ravings of something gone mad. "I don't care what you feel, machine." Cooler held his open hand up to the Android, "Now die!" The vengeful monarch unleashed a searing blast. There was no way for Android 1 to escape the blast. But he still had to try.

1 pulled himself to the side, just enough for the blast to only tear through his right arm, and part of his torso too. Cooler wrinkled his nose back into a vicious snarl at what remained of the Android, who wore a very excruciated look of pain on his face. Any other creature would have died from shock at nearly half their body being blown to oblivion.

"Now you're even further from 'completion.'" Cooler's words struck a nerve. The heat from 1's eyes could have burnt a hole through Cooler's hide. "Let's try this again, shall we?" 1 tensed as Cooler raised his arm up to finish the job. This time, 1 knew for certain he would die.

Android 3 appeared behind Cooler in a blur, and kicked him in the back of the head as he turned towards her. The blow barely slowed the tyrant down as he made a grab for her. She was gone before he could even lay a finger on her. When he turned back around, Cooler saw that 1 had disappeared as well. Another brief examination showed that his men were beaten, and the Androids had escaped. Again.

"No..." Cooler tightened his fists, veins of frustration popped out from his body, each one coursing with rage. "NO!" The tyrant's voice boomed over the snowy wastes, as the skirmish between Earthlings and death machines took a sudden turn.

The Boss and remaining Resistance survivors came barreling across the field in jeeps and trucks, covered with basic armor for even the lowliest Planetary Trade soldier, and armed with advanced energy blasters and cannons that tore through the Red Ribbon Army's basic drones with ease. The armor the Resistance wore could now take several well placed shots from the Red Ribbon's basic laser weapons, absorb blasts and heavy blows with less damage, and keep them alive. Some of the heavier units still gave the Resistance trouble, but a large soldier from Muscle Tower helped to make short work of them instead.

With the Red Ribbon drones destroyed in troves by their own hand, and Androids 1, 3, and 4 driven off, the Resistance let out a victorious cry that could be heard for miles.

* * *

In the aftermath, Cooler had ordered his men to deal with the humans while he returned to the ship. Their mild punishment for failing to stop the other two Androids. None of them were fit to deal with gratitude though. It wouldn't matter, as Cooler would destroy every last Earthling after he was done with the Androids. Their blubbering praise was...uncomfortable.

The Boss was covered in full PTO battle armor, covering her chest, wrists, and upper legs as she approached Salza. The look was oddly suiting on a woman like her, even if she was a bit well aged. "Thank you all. Sorry your boss didn't get his take of our deal, but we're still grateful that you saved us all."

"Yes," Salza said, eyes fixed on the large, odd looking member of the Resistance. "Zhat one...our scouters cannot read him."

"Yeah...uh," the Boss turned and looked at the man, then to Salza. "He's an Android. He's on our side though!" The Armored Squadron glared at her suspiciously. Had they not been watching and speculating about the behemoth for nearly an hour now, they would have destroyed it on sight. But the large, primitive looking Android seemed to be valued and loved by the humans. "Look, he's friendly, he's old, and he's not a threat. Hell, I could kick Eighter's ass if I really wanted to. You don't even have to work with him, he's just the guardian of...well, what was formerly Jingle Village."

"He is an Android, but he is not hostile?"

"Look, he's not going to be with us on the assault. All we want to know is when to meet you at the Red Ribbon base."

With the heavy hitters of their army were routed, the Resistance expected them to head back to their main fortress. Cooler thought along the same lines as they did, but neglected to mention a plan of attack before he headed back to the ship.

"We shall get to you tomorrow on zhat," Salza replied. "Our master is...formulating a plan as we speak."

The Boss gave Salza a skeptical stare. It was subtle, but he noticed the look of knowing in her eyes. She said nothing and walked off with a smile on her face. Salza waited until she stepped back into the light provided by her people's settlement, leaving the Armored Squadron to sit in the dark.

"This is a joke..." Salza sighed as Neiz started complaining. "We didn't know what to expect from those Androids without any power level readings! Why do we have to be down here dealing with the backwater idiots?"

"I warned both of you zhat zhe Android 3 was dangerous!" They both shared a look of guilt and shame. Salza felt the urge to strangle the both of them. When Android 3 had beaten Dore and Neiz, she showed up and helped 4 dispatch Salza before saving Android 1. Now Salza had to suffer his master's punishment for his comrade's failure. "Ever since we have surpassed zhe Ginyu Force's last recorded power level, you two have been completely pigheaded and foolish! If you two could work in unison, you might have survived zhe Android long enough for Lord Cooler to destroy Android 1!"

"You didn't do any better against that 4 bitch," Dore fired back.

"I managed to gain zhe upper hand on her, until Android 3 attacked me _again_!" Salza gave a tired sigh and shook his head. "We're being punished. Fighting will only make zhis situation worse. When we make zhe attack, zhings will get worse for us. We'll have more zhan just two Androids to fight..."

"Those first three were weak enough," Neiz pointed out. "Maybe if we gang up on them first to take them out as fast as possible..."

"We can take them out separately one on one!"

"We will work zhis out later," Salza barked. "For now just...don't kill anyone..." He floated away to get a clearer transmission to the ship. Maybe Cooler's temper had waned by now.

The Boss watched as her soldiers boastfully displayed their new toys. Comrades tested the gear, children marveled, and adults watched with reservations about the alien tech. They managed not only to survive the day, but also win a true victory over the Red Ribbon Androids. It could be the last victory they get to celebrate.

"Boss!" Vi ran up, her face still smudged with dirt and grime. Her eyes sparkled brightly behind all the filth on her face. It was almost painful how young the girl her in her army was. "We've got word about the Devil's Pair."

The Boss gave an annoyed hiss through her teeth before pulling the girl off the main trail. "When?"

"It was one of the last cities," she said, walking to keep pace. "We were getting a team ready to scout the ruins, but we're worried Gohan may have been in the area. Worried because...there's been no sign of him since before their attack..."

"And that would have been when our friends showed up and started blowing things up..." She couldn't sense energy, not like Gohan, or his dad, or any of them, but she knew that Cooler's campaign across the planet would have triggered their senses on the other side of the world. "Who's in the area?"

"We have an officer in the area...trying to negotiate with General Bon." Shit.

"Bon is in the area?"

"He's...angrier than usual. He claims we're in his territory or something."

"It's not his fucking house. Can Suno keep the aliens away from this?"

"She's already been informed, and volunteered," Vi said. She was definitely a miracle worker. "And since I'm the only medical expert fully geared and ready, I suggest we head out now."

"If Bon is there, we might need Eighter if things get messy. I'll fight him, you get a vehicle ready."

"Yes ma'am!" Vi quickly turned and ran towards one of the few remaining garages the Resistance had standing. The Boss knew bringing Eighter was a risk in itself when dealing with General Bon, but he was also about the only thing they had that could fight an army on his own. If Bon was looking for a fight with the Resistance, he was going to get one.

* * *

The ship was quiet with only one person on board. Cooler sat in the silent, empty core of the ship, trying to focus, to meditate. It was an ancient tradition of his people that he practiced. Or at least he liked to practice. Meditation was supposed to bring peace of mind, inner clarity, and a sense of calm. Whenever Cooler needed any of these things, meditation did nothing to fix this. A lousy practice that did absolutely nothing.

Unlike his brother and father, he would honor tradition. It was the only promise he would ever keep, to remember and value Arcosian culture.

Thankfully, his respects to culture were cut short by a call from Salza. He moved towards the nearest console and opened the transmission. "Salza?"

" _Yes sire, zhe humans, and we were az well, wondering what zhe plan of attack was against the Androids?"_

"As soon as the readings of the Red Ribbon's base comes through. The last thing we need is to fall into a trap set by those Androids. Have you found a frequency to read their powers on? Even if we can't get a reading, just being able to detect them will help us out with that cloaked Android."

" _Not yet sire. I shall get az much information from zhe humans zhat zhey know about the Androids and report back."_

"So you have nothing to report," Cooler inquired. Salza said nothing, confirming his suspicions. Cooler rolled his eyes and walked towards the bridge, putting the call on all speakers throughout the ship. "Don't bother apologizing Salza. You know how failure works. You have one chance to prove your worth to me again."

" _Y-yes sir...we will not fail you!"_

"See to it that you don't." He cut the call as he stared out over the Earth. His ship lingered above in the atmosphere. How tempted he was earlier to blow up the entire planet and be done with the quest for vengeance. As angry as he was with his men for failing him, he knew the PTO, _his_ Empire, would need capable, coordinated strike teams to act as the backbone for his empire.

Unfortunately, Cooler's Armored Squadron and the Suika Force were the only elite teams left to establish order throughout the kingdom. Frieza had failed only twice in his life, and so far it has cost the PTO the Ginyu Force, King Cold's team, the Nudoru Unit, the family's Royal Guard, and three of the four Generals on the King's Council. Suika, the one General who stayed behind, was crucial in aiding Cooler to establishing order during the civil war.

Losing the Armored Squadron hurt him in the long run. They were his personal unit, the three he chose to accompany him, rather than legions of cowardly minions. But they had failed in keeping the Androids busy long enough for him to finish off just one. His men weren't incompetent, just overconfident. If they wanted to regain his favor, and continue breathing, the next time would not end in failure.

* * *

Salza stayed aloft in the darkened sky, staring up at the stars over the Earth. It was funny, how all of space looked the same on every planet. He never would have admitted his worry about coming to this planet, especially with Lord Cooler's obsession with vengeance. He had no place to question his master's will.

He just didn't want to die on such a dreaded rock in the darkest corners of the galaxy.

The Super Saiyan was meant to be their prize. Even if Cooler dealt the killing blow, the Armored Squadron would be the first crew in the galaxy to survive the fighters who took down Lord Frieza, and King Cold. Frieza's Elite, the Ginyu Force, King Cold's top Generals, and even the Royal Guard, all of them failed where the Armored Squadron was supposed to succeed. Would killing these rogue Androids bring them fame and honor like the Super Saiyans? Would Cooler tell the truth, or would he claim to have killed the Super Saiyan and not speak of the Androids?

If they failed to the Androids, would Lord Cooler even mention their deaths to the PTO?

Salza's worries were put to the side when he saw a pair of lights moving away from Jingle Outpost. Salza presumed the humans were moving in some sort of transport vehicle, based on how quickly the lights were moving. Where were the Earthlings going at this hour? They certainly weren't trying to search for the Androids, not on their own. His scouter picked up two power levels, 45 and 210. Only two of them on the move? It must be something important.

And clearly something they didn't want Salza and his men to know about.

Now what could the humans possibly be hiding? More heroes? Weapons? Perhaps even a Super Saiyan.

"Perhaps zhis iz worzh investigating..." Salza stayed up high and followed the vehicle several clicks back. He was completely covered by the darkness of the night sky, hovering over his prey like a hawk. "Now, I do hope you wouldn't happen to be hiding anyzhing, little scum..." If they were, it could cost humanity what little time they had left in their brief existence in the universe.

* * *

 **So, I can't help but notice a sudden influx of traffic to my story after Cosmic Cannon mentioned this story in his latest chapter of Frozen Heart. So, thanks for that CC! No pressure or anything xD**

 **But seriously though, hello to all new readers and reviewers! Thank you for taking him at his word and giving my story a shot. Hopefully you all like it, and will continue reading into the long planned future. As the last chapter was dedicated to Monty Oum after he passed away a year ago, this chapter is for all you new people who gave my story a shot and liked it enough to stick around. I really hope I don't have to make a habit of dedicating chapters though. I'll run out of things sooner or later. A few things first:**

 **Android 1, in case his description was...odd (I'm terrible at describing characters) is based on the 'Androids' from Trunks' initial flashback. The weird things with the glowing eyes that looked like they were basically liquid? Take those and mix them with General Rildo's final form (unfortunately, yes, I used a GT character as a loose basis) and that's essentially Android 1. Android 3's attire is also loosely based on Android 19's outfit, and...well, those clothes are really hard to explain without using an entire paragraph to do so. So, instead I referenced the vaguely known fact that Android 19 was based on a doll Gero had found in an enemy base or something. Android 4 is...well, flashy.**

 **As far as power levels for Cooler and his men go, in case there was any confusion, the PTO civil war lasted over a decade, easily. In this AU, Arcosians have a much longer life span than humans comparatively (don't ask me to pin a number on it yet), but the PTO was built upon Frieza and Cooler's parents building the Empire, and then Frieza and Cooler themselves going out and conquering new planets and whatnot. In other words, decades upon decades of work to build this army, and when most of it rebels, it would take quite awhile to resolve the conflict without just blowing up half the universe to do it. And during those years of fighting and bringing order, Cooler and his Armored Squadron have risen in strength. The best way I can explain is that in his current form, Cooler is about as strong as a Super Saiyan (like in Cosmic Cannon's most recent chapters), and his Armored Squadron are about as strong as the Z Fighters before their death (as Tien, Yamcha, even Chaiotzu managed to defeat the Ginyu Force with ease in the filler) So, yeah. In case that wasn't obvious in the story, that explains why they're stronger and can go toe-to-toe with the Androids presented so far.**

 **And GOOD NEWS! Next chapter is going to bring in Gohan and Trunks into the story! As well as, you guessed it, Android 17 and 18! Fun, right?! Well...maybe not so fun for the first two at least. Oh, also, brownie points for anyone who knows what General Bon is from. Yes, it is something Dragon Ball related.**


	3. Chapter 3: Androids Attack

**So, sorry for the prolonged wait on the update. Work this week was just...god awful thanks to piss poor management. But, you don't care about that. Onto the story!**

* * *

" _THEY'RE HERE!"_

" _Everyone get back! Get to the shelters!"_

" _We can't stop them...they can't be stopped..."_

* * *

The scent of smoke and scorched corpses lingered in the air. The fortress they had, second largest in the Fury Force, built into the heart of a mountain, laid to waste and burned down the bare bones of the earth. The Devil's Pair blew up the fortress, brought down the mountain, and then blasted the remains. Where a proud force of nature stood, a pair of monstrous machines turned it into a smoking crater.

General Bon stood in the heart of the crater, where his mighty fortress stood. It had repelled attacks from Android 9 successfully, and was a strong statement to the Fury Force. The siblings from Hell had just rendered the entire area dust within minutes. Was there nothing they could do?

"General Bon, sir. We believe we know where they're headed!" This attack wouldn't stand. The deaths of his soldiers would mean something. "They were headed toward the Orange Star Territory!"

The large bull turned towards his regiment and marched to his tank. "Prepare everything and everyone we have left. We're going to make our mark in history as the ones who finally take those monsters down! For too long have we listened to the word of man! Our late King would not sit idle while the Androids destroy our world! Enough of our people have fallen to these butchers! We will take the fight to them! We shall slay the devils that plague our world!"

His men cheered their battle cry across the planes as General Bon took point in the charge. He was leading his men to their deaths, he had no doubts. But there was nothing more shameful than hiding in a hole and dying like rats. They were soldiers of the late King, and they had failed time and again to protect Earth and all her people. They were soldiers ready to make the ultimate sacrifice. And he was their leader. He would not let his men down.

Not when the 'hero' would be on the heels of the Devil's Pair.

* * *

The cries of the civilians were cut out abruptly as destructive blasts filled the streets. The pair dealing out the destruction turned a city into a pile of rubble with a wave of their hands. Smoldering bodies were all that remained of the people who got caught in their blasts, filling the scorched craters formed by the Android's destruction.

"This is getting boring 17," the blonde complained.

"You were the one who wanted to stop by here, not me sis. And look," 17 cast his finger towards a small band of a few dozen remaining soldiers from the so called Resistance. "There's still a few who want to put up a fight."

18 wrinkled her nose with distaste at the suicidal humans. She could kill every last one of them with her hands tied behind her back. Toying with them would be a waste of her time. "Unlike you, I don't play with losers." They never stood a chance against her or 17. For some reason, they insisted on fighting back nevertheless. She never could understand the human capacity for sheer idiocy. Who would fight a losing battle?

17 laughed at 18's cold remark, "Ouch sis! You're breaking my heart..."

"Just hurry up and kill them if you're going to play. I'd just as soon level this city anyway..."

17 narrowed his eyes on 18. She had been in a foul temper ever since they destroyed that Fury base. 17 wracked his memory trying to think of what could have set her off since then. "Jeez, what's your problem sis?"

"Look, it's just getting boring is all! I want a real challenge already! It's been over a freaking decade since we finished off Goku's friends!"

"Yeah..." 17 wouldn't argue that the idle slaughter did get a bit stale. What fun was there in destroying a civilization that didn't stand a ghost of a chance against their might. "We still have the other blondie? And what about the rest of the old gang, huh?"

The thought of their fellow Androids only caused 18's scowl to deepen. "Ugh, gag. Don't lump me in the same category as the pre-teens. Those defective pieces of—,"

"If you want, how about we go harass them a bit? It's been so long since we've had a family reunion too. Maybe they've even gotten some upgrades?"

18 scoffed at the very idea. She and 17 had destroyed all of Gero's labs. There was nowhere left for the Red Ribbons to get anything related to their design. The last thing they needed was Android 9 getting his hands on a remote detonator for herself and 17.

"Whatever. Maybe we'll need to kick them around later..."

"Come on, I promise it'll be a—," 17 never finished his sentence, as a driving fist slammed into his face. The blow sent the Android crashing through a ruined building, which prompted the rest of the structure to come crashing down on itself.

"17!"

18 was blindsided by an elbow smashing into her face. The blow caused pain to burst through her skull before she went colliding through the building opposite of her brother.

His ambush had bought the Resistance enough time to get the rest of the innocents out of the immediate area. Gohan knew that both 17 and 18 would be up shortly however, and they were going to be angry. But at least they would be focused on him, instead of the innocents below.

"Man, that is some timing you've got there, Super Saiyan." Gohan snapped his attention forward, where 17 and 18 had already rejoined each other. "Me and 18 were just talking about picking a fight with someone who could hold their own, and you come in out of the blue to liven our day up."

"Where's the little guy," 18 wondered. Her cold, expressionless eyes passed right over Gohan, and started looking over the ruins and skies around them. "He's still packs a punch, especially when you have him blindside us. He's the reason you escaped last time, isn't he?"

"Leave Trunks out of this! This is between you two and me!"

The Devil's Pair chuckled before they lunged at Gohan.

They weren't going to give him a chance this time around. Before he could go Super Saiyan, 17 and 18 flanked him on both sides. Gohan flipped back into a descent as 17 and 18 struck nothing but air. With a split second of freedom, Gohan used it to power up. With a furious scream, and a thunderous blast released from the force behind the transformation, Gohan unleashed his Super Saiyan power.

"Let's do it!"

Gohan started his counter attack by unleashing a barrage of golden energy onto the Devil's Pair. Both Androids were consumed in a cloud of smoke as Gohan continued the relentless assault. 18 broke through the cloud of first, ducking low to strike Gohan in the abdomen. The Super Saiyan choked out an agonized cry as he doubled over. 17 flipped over Gohan's head on his approach, but reached back to grab the hero's face. The Android pulled Gohan over his head, and sent the hero rocketing into the ground below with a ground shaking crash.

"Nice toss," 18 complimented. "I think he'll be down for a bit after that."

"Don't count on it. This guy survived us more times than I can count, remember."

17 was proven right, as another blast tore up from the rubble straight for him and 18. The siblings pulled away from each other, as the blast flew past the both of them. Their eyes were fixed on the source of the attack however. It proved worthwhile, as Gohan came tearing out of the rubble for the pair.

Gohan went right for 17, throwing all of his anger and strength behind his fist as the Android ducked out of the way. 18 moved around to the halfling hero's side. Gohan quickly turned his attention to 18 and swung his leg up aimed for her head. 18 raised up her hand and didn't budge as she caught Gohan by the ankle. She gave the hero a coy smirk before Gohan brought his other boot crashing down into the side of her head before 18 could even blink. The blow knocked 18 out of the sky, and sent her on a collision course with the ground.

"18!"

17's concern for his sister gave Gohan an opening to exploit. Gohan rushed towards the Android and threw his momentum into a rising knee. 17 moved to counter the attack with his forearm, but Gohan's speed sent his knee crashing into the Android's abdomen before he could pull his arm back. Gohan reached forward over 17's hunched back and grabbed onto the Android's shirt. Holding 17 in position, Gohan pulled his knee back, only to drive it forward again. He repeated this many times, each strike rising in speed and power, and how much of a choked scream it would get out of 17. With each knee, Gohan roared louder. Around the eighth strike, 18 arrived to save her brother.

She appeared behind the Super Saiyan, and slammed her boot onto the top of his head, as if she were stomping a bug. As Gohan speared towards the ground, 18 swooped down to grab her brother before he fell too far down.

"Oh man," 18 couldn't help but laugh at her brother hunched over in pain, clutching his stomach. "Are you alright?"

17 was nearly foaming out of the mouth, and 18's laughing was not helping matters. "He's so dead this time..."

"We say that _every_ time," she muttered.

"Well this time LET'S ACTUALLY KILL HIM THIS TIME!" 17 quickly rushed in after Gohan, intent to make his proclamation come to fruition. 18 just rolled her eyes as she watched her brother lose his cool. Again.

"You know what? Fine then! If you're so fucking hot and bothered to prove yourself, by all means!" Resigning herself as a spectator, 18 folded her arms and started to look around the battlefield. She knew that Gohan's little friend was going to be around somewhere. 17 could stand to have his pride knocked down a few notches while she searched.

Gohan stopped himself from falling just above the ground. He saw a shadow moving in his direction, and managed to avoid the speeding comet that was 17 just before the Android speared through the surface of the ground. Gohan quickly flipped over and took off towards the sky, as the earth continued to quake and shatter apart from the enraged Android tunneling below.

As Gohan took to the sky, 17 finally burst out of the ground. The Android launched a golden blast ahead of him, aimed for the speeding Super Saiyan. In the time it took Gohan to turn and smack the blast away, Android 17 closed the distance between them. 17 struck out with an elbow aimed for Gohan's cranium. The halfling Saiyan blocked with his forearm, and instantly countered with a punishing knee to 17's nose that sent the Android sailing through the air.

17 threw his arms and legs out and brought himself to an immediate halt in midair. He looked back at Gohan, who hovered across from him like a golden target. 17 was losing his head. He was sick of Gohan, and his stubborn refusal to die. Every time he survived, every time Gohan came back he seemed more powerful and annoying.

It was time to finish the Super Saiyan once and for all.

The two warriors collided into each other as they started their battle up again. They moved faster than the eye could see, popping up for only a second as they exchanged blows across the city. The dance better known as battle ended when 17 landed his fist on Gohan's jaw. Gohan was sent sailing through the air, until a broken skyscraper caught him. 17 saw an opening, and obliterated the ground floor with a precise finger beam. The building began to tip over, like a tree waiting to fall.

Gohan burst free from the collapsing building in time. As the building landed with a deafening crash, 17 closed the distance and slammed his knee into Gohan's abdomen. Earth's last hero folded over and howled as 17's knee nearly split him in half. The Android chuckled with cruel delight before he pulled his leg back, only to slam it in the same spot as before.

"Not so much fun, is it?!" 17 laughed as he kneed Gohan a third time, and a fourth. Before a fifth blow could be landed, Gohan was rescued from the brutal punishment by Trunks, who had knocked 17 away with a drop kick. Before the Android could counter, Trunks drew all of his energy into his arms.

"Double Buster!" The youth roared as he threw his arms out in front of him, aiming his attack at 17. A large wave of vibrant blue energy raced towards an awe struck Android.

17 was caught in the fiery blast, leaving only a cloud of smoke in its wake. Gohan himself was impressed by the amount of energy Trunks had unleashed in so short of a charge time. He knew Trunks was making some serious improvements as of late, but a blast like that was bound to inflict some serious damage. With any luck, Trunks would unlock his Super Saiyan potential soon. If they could survive this fight.

Android 18 suddenly appeared in front of Trunks. She wasted no effort in grabbing the drained boy by the collar of his Capsule Corp shirt, lifting him up to eye level with her. "Found you."

Before 18 could strike, Gohan jumped to Trunks' aid. He grabbed Trunks and pulled him out of 18's grip, while putting himself in the line of fire from 18. She clearly wasn't impressed, as she attacked Gohan without pause. The first punch she landed knocked Gohan senseless, and put some distance between him and Trunks. 18 chased after him, leaving Trunks where he stood aloft.

"Damn it...G-Gohan!" Trunks watched as 18 started to lay on the pressure. Gohan was keeping up with the lone Android, but it was clear he couldn't keep going that way. Even with no energy, he couldn't let Gohan fight the Androids alone. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

"I don't think you will be..." Trunks froze in terror. He recognized the voice, but by the time he realized it he was already as good as dead.

17 locked the bend of his arm around Trunks' mouth, preventing him from calling out to Gohan. His other hand he placed at the small of Trunks' back, with a devilish smirk on his lips. Trunks struggled helplessly in 17's unbreakable grip, as the Android began charging up an attack at the youth's back.

The blast tore Trunks free of 17's grasp, but also sent the screaming half Saiyan racomg to the ground, where the blast exploded on impact.

"TRUNKS!" 17 calmly looked forward as Gohan came at him like a speeding jet. As Gohan threw his fist forward, 17 ducked under the strike, and lined up with Gohan's body. The two fighters met the other's gaze just before 17 brought his legs up and landed both feet into Gohan's abdomen.

The blow sent Gohan flying into the air, where 18 appeared behind him. With a windmill kick, she sent Gohan racing back down towards 17. Gohan quickly turned the tables again as he tucked his arms and legs in and blasted himself downward even faster. 17 barely had a moment to process before the hero slammed into him head first. The Super Saiyan pushed his foe down, slammed him through the remains of a broken building, and buried 17 deep underground as the structure collapsed on top of them.

18 hovered in the air as she watched the debris and rubble thrown back by the impact Gohan and her brother made. "Well that was a miscalculation..."

Gohan blasted out of the ground like a bat out of hell, straight towards 18. He pulled his arm back and swung wide for a haymaker. 18 stopped Gohan's forearm with her own. Gohan responded by slamming his other fist into 18's face. His knuckles pressed deep, before the force of the blow threw 18 back a few feet.

"Oh I am _so_ sick of you!"

"The feelings mutual," Gohan snapped.

18 was gone before Gohan could even put his guard up. He turned left, only for 17's fist to greet him. The punch threw him towards 18, who swung her foot up and kicked Gohan in the chin and sent him flying higher into the air. 17 was waiting for the hero above before another devastating punch knocked Gohan out of the sky and sent him crashing into a pile of rubble below.

18 appeared next to her brother as they both looked down. "I think we're done here," 17 declared.

"Scorched earth?"

17 pulled his lips back in a twisted grin as he pointed both hands down at the ground below, "You know it..."

The siblings began bombarding the area below, starting in a small, concentrated area before spreading the blasts out, making sure to cover every foot of ground below.

Trunks quickly awoke as a nearby blast threw him across the floor. Once he caught himself, the teen glared up at the Androids. Angry surged through his body as he intended to fight. Before he could even take off, Gohan tackled the youth and sprinted through the ruins for cover.

17 and 18 decided to end the destruction with a bang. They raised their hands up together and combined their energy into a beach ball sized orb of power. Together they cast their hands, and the glowing city buster down to earth.

As the orb sped towards the ground, and unfortunately for Gohan it detonated before he and Trunks could find cover. The explosion consumed everything in its wake, reducing what was left of the city to dust. When the smoke finally cleared, 17 took a moment to admire the flattened wasteland.

"You know...I've got a good feeling about this one."

"You _always_ say that when we almost kill him."

"Yeah...but this time feels special." 17 gave the area one last look. With no bright orange spots sticking out, he presumed that Gohan was vaporized, and took to the skies. 18 wrinkled her nose and lingered for a moment longer. In a week that thorn in their sides would be back. But for now she followed 17's lead and flew away from the former city.

* * *

" _Sweep the area quick! We've got to find them!"_

" _Ma'am, they're here! Under the rubble!"_

" _Son of a...contact Jingle Outpost. Tell them Gohan and Trunks are critical and they need medical."_

" _Ma'am, the Fury Force is making their way towards us."_

" _Great...when it rains it pours, huh boys?"_

* * *

Trunks started to stir out of his slumber. If the yelling didn't wake him up right away, the pain in his body certainly did the trick. Everything felt stiff and sore as he forced himself onto his feet. One of the Resistance soldiers that had survived saw Trunks moving, and quickly ran to the youth's side to help him.

"Sir, you shouldn't push yourself." Trunks looked at the young soldier, a boy only a few years older than him with an eye patch over his left eye. The sight was enough to make Trunks' stomach to turn over. "Neither you nor Gohan have gotten any medical attention since the attack."

"What's...going on," Trunk asked. The boy looked over, where several Resistance soldiers stood against a legion from the Fury Force. "Oh...great..."

"They're shouting about the Devil's Pair escaping again..."

Trunks pushed himself off the human soldier to support himself. He immediately regretted his choice as a sharp pain pierced through his abdomen. Trunks waved the boy off before he even had a chance to offer his assistance. "Where's Gohan?"

"He's...still under, sir. We've managed to stabilize his condition, but...without proper medical care, it might be awhile before he's ready to fight again..."

Trunks knew better. Thanks to his and Gohan's half Saiyan heritage, they could heal faster than anyone else on the planet. Of course that didn't mean much when the Androids almost killed them every single time and they both ended up waiting a week or more recuperating.

The teen clenched his fists as he thought about the never ending war with the Androids. If it wasn't 17 and 18, it was the Red Ribbon Army that threatened Earth's survival. No matter how strong Trunks and Gohan became, they could never close the gap. With the Red Ribbons, they had superiority in numbers, and with the Devil's Pair, Trunks just couldn't compete. To say the two factions were anything but hated enemies was an understatement.

Trunks stepped towards the two commanders fighting each other. He didn't recognize the Resistance leader, but he knew who General Bon was immediately. Gohan was the one who usually had to force Bon to back down, but they would have to settle for the non Super Saiyan half breed.

"What gives you the right to make demands," the black haired woman shouted.

"Those two monsters destroyed one of our strongest fortresses in the mountains! We lost hundreds of valiant warriors, and now their trail is cold because of those failures you call heroes!"

"We've all lost more than enough to the Androids! Unfortunately, you refuse to work _with_ us against them because of your fucking god complex!"

Bon snorted furiously through his nose, before his eyes drifted to the approaching youth. The Resistance leader turned as well. Unlike Bon, she showed much more concern that Trunks was up and about.

"You're a little late to the party, General," Trunks greeted.

"You let them get away. _Again._ "

"Letting them get away and barely surviving them are two different things..." Trunks always hated Bon. He led the most powerful, well organized military might left on the planet, but he refused to work alongside the Resistance, or even with Gohan to stop the Androids. The only person General Bon would have listened to was King Furry, who was long since assassinated by the Red Ribbons. "Listen...we were trying to help the Resistance rescue innocent people!"

"And you let them get away! Don't you understand that every day that those Androids live, the more people will die?! You and Gohan both are supposed to be our 'last hope' but you're nothing more than a joke! The Fury Force will end these Androids once and for all!"

"If you would unite your forces with the Resistance, we would _all_ stand a better chance," the Resistance officer shouted. "You know that, and so do we! Why do you insist on acting like you're the only person who can fight the Androids!?"

Bon snorted through his nose before turning his back on them. "We are the last of the noble King's army. And we will be the ones to destroy the Androids! Starting with their creators, the Red Ribbon Army!"

"General, please," Trunks said. "This is crazy! We haven't tried a frontal assault against the Red Ribbon Army in years! Even Gohan can't—,"

"I do not care what you or that idiot cannot do! This is something _we_ must do! The Fury Force will wipe out all the Androids that remain! We will liberate Earth from our enemies!" Trunks looked ready to protest, but the black haired officer put a hand on his shoulder to keep him quiet. "No one, not the Resistance, not you 'Super' Saiyans, will stop us! For the people of Earth!"

Bon's Fury Force cheered at their General's speech before mobilizing. Trunks and the Resistance party watched the largest army standing against the Androids moved out with no real plan of action.

"I don't understand him," Trunks shouted angrily. "Why does he fight us when the Androids are the real threat?!"

"An ego can be a dangerous thing kid," the officer replied. She smiled warmly at the teen and patted his back. "Come on, you shouldn't be moving in your condition. We have the Resistance's best medical officer on her way now."

"Vi, huh?" The officer couldn't help but smirk at the accurate guess. Both Trunks and Gohan had been worked over plenty of times by the Androids, and ended up in the Resistance's care quite a number of times. If it wasn't them, it was usually Trunks' mother fixing him and Gohan. "Um...what's your name again ma'am?"

"Videl, former officer of Orange Star Base. I'm kind of an old acquaintance of Gohan's. The Boss and Vi will get here shortly. Get some rest until then." Trunks nodded as the weight of his injuries suddenly pressed down on him all at once. It was a struggle, but he managed to get back in his bed under the shadow of a broken wall.

* * *

The sun began to rise, only a few miles away from Orange Star Base. For the last few hours, the Boss had been edgy. In truth, she had been feeling unsettled since they left Muscle Outpost. After making a deal with a space devil who saved her from certain doom, the Boss figured it was only a matter of time before the unsettling truth of her bargain set in.

But this was something else. Years of warring with the Androids had sharpened her instincts to tell her when she was being watched.

"Vi?" The violet haired woman looked over at the Boss. "Radio ahead to Videl. Tell her to move Gohan and Trunks to a more secure location."

"Wh-what? Why?"

Boss looked back at Eighter and drifted her eyes up skyward. It was only a brief glance, but she saw something move behind the clouds. "Cooler's men, at least one of them, is following us..."

"Shit," Vi muttered.

"What do we do," Eighter asked.

"Same thing as before," Boss replied. "We head to Orange Star Base, gather the survivors and take them back to Muscle. But we send Gohan and Trunks away before we get there, so Cooler doesn't learn about them. Otherwise we're dead in the water."

Vi picked up the radio speaker and smiled coyly at the Boss, "Keeping Gohan as backup huh? You really do think of everything, don't you?"

"I think far enough ahead not to trust tyrannical space lizards..." Gohan was the only one who stood a chance against such a ferocious opponent. Cooler made the Red Ribbon Androids flee not once, but twice. Granted, Androids 1 through 7 were usually knitted together as tight as could be and were never too far apart, but even Gohan struggled against them. Hopefully Goku's son could could accomplish the same feats as his father, and at least deal with one more tyrant from space.

Salza groaned, eyes half closed from fatigue. Flying all night after the humans was proving to be more fruitless than any other task since they had arrived on Earth, and that was saying a damn lot. Maybe the humans had nothing to hide after all? But Salza couldn't shake the feeling that there was something to be hidden. The humans had been nothing helpful and straight forward with lord Cooler. Why would they send a vehicle out and not inform them about it?

If there was something to hide, Salza would not allow the humans to keep it from his master.

* * *

No matter how many times the recordings played, nothing changed. Gero's creations, _his_ Androids, the most elite fighting force left on the planet failed at the simplest of tasks. The set up was perfect too. After tracking the movements of Gohan and his little brat, as well as the Devil's Pair, Android 9 was able to accurately predict when they would inevitably cross paths next.

That was why he let a message 'slip' about a supply shipment as bait for the Resistance. And they took it, walking right into Android 9's trap.

And then aliens from outer space appear out of the blue and make the Red Ribbon Androids a joke, and threw 9's plan into ruin! The Commander took a long, agitated drag from his silver pipe. His robotic eye focused on the image of the alien's leader, the purple menace who came for revenge against Son Goku. Thirteen years after the fact, and now he seemed hellbent to take down 9's kingdom for 'stealing his prize.'

There was the last living Super Saiyan, the Devil's Pair, and now this alien monarch who was aiding the Resistance. Android 9 furiously slammed his oversized fist through the arm of his chair, snapping the metal off of it completely.

"You called for me, Commander?"

Android 9 turned in his seat of power and looked down as Android 3 gave him a lazy salute. The leader of the Red Ribbon Army scowled at her briefly. If he could fix that lazy attitude of hers, 3 could be almost as much of a threat as Android 2. Even so, she still had her uses as a lazy super computer.

"What's your best assessment of this new menace?"

"If Android 1's current status is any indication, this tyrant Cooler presents as much of a threat, if not more so, than Son Gohan. His subordinates were able to easily keep up with, and possibly even overpower the likes of Androids 5, 6, 7, and even Android 4. So far, Androids 1 and 2 have not shown the capabilities to stop this new threat."

"Damn it..."

"With all due respect, Commander, we were divided and facing a new challenge. There would have been no way around this defeat. If 17 and 18, or Gohan had caught either group as unprepared as Cooler, the results would have been the same, if not worse."

"I didn't ask for your damn opinions! I want answers!" Android 9 rose from his chair, towering over the smaller Android. 9's eyes burned with hatred, for contempt against his newest foe. "What's the status of the Super Saiyan and the Devil's Pair?"

"Based on radio transmissions we were able to piece together, it seems as if Gohan and Trunks survived their latest encounter, as did our rebellious siblings."

Android 9 was about to blow his top. Yet again, Goku's son managed to cheat death. All three of his biggest threats were active, and in Cooler's case he would be coming after them. "Fortify all defenses! Notify every base! We're to be ready for anything, and I mean _ANYTHING_!"

"Sir? If I may?" Android 9's mechanical eye twisted and glared dangerously at 3. "If this...Cooler has come to Earth to kill Son Goku for murdering his family, and he's working with the Resistance, it's highly likely that Cooler is unaware of Gohan." The Red Ribbon Commander slowly sat back down in his seat, listening to the shrewd Android. "If the tyrant were made aware of Gohan, it would be unlikely that he would still work with the Resistance, and there's a high probability that he would instead try to kill Gohan instead. Of course...he would still also be after us as well for our part in Son Goku's death, including 17 and 18."

"Turn them against each other..." Android 9 chuckled with a devious smile on his lips. "This is perfect. All of our enemies turned to kill each other! They will fight, and whoever is left standing, we'll finish them off! Three birds, with one stone..." 9 clenched his fist tightly and grinned. All he needed was to finish that remote to shut down 17 and 18, and then nothing would stand in his way of conquering Earth. "Find Android 2, have her lead this lizard to Gohan!"

"As you wish..." Android 3 sighed before she departed.

Android 9 turned his eyes back to the screen, to the face of his new enemy. Goku and his friends managed to beat the space tyrants last time, and the Red Ribbon Army defeated Goku. Cooler would suffer the same fate as all who opposed the might of Commander Red.

* * *

Trunks was woken up to the sound of movement and hushed talking all around him. The teen looked around as Resistance soldiers started to move Gohan. Trunks got a good look at his unconscious master, heavily bruised and wrapped in bandages.

"Hey kiddo." Trunks turned from Gohan and saw Videl standing by his bedside. "We need to get you two moving. Boss's orders."

"Wh-what? What's going on?"

The officer helped the young Saiyan sit up, "Boss said she's bringing company. They're not Androids, but they're certainly not friends of yours." Trunks was suddenly alarmed. He could feel..something out there. A power large enough to be sensed anyway. "She said she'll brief you and Gohan personally, but for now we're taking you both to a small supply outpost a few miles out. Can you keep your power level down?" Trunks nodded. "And when Gohan's knocked out, he doesn't...you can't sense him?"

"No more than I can sense you..."

Videl nodded and got Trunks out of bed. "Come on. We've got a jeep waiting to get you guys out there. Just keep your power levels low, and don't do anything stupid. Vi and Boss will both swing by after the coast is clear and explain the situation to both of you."

Trunks' head was spinning. Once he was up and moving again, his skull felt like it was cracked open. He was barely processing what Videl was telling him, and he still had no idea what was going on. "But I—,"

"No time, go!" Both heroes were loaded up in the rumbling jeep before it took off. Videl sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh the Overseer is going to be pissed about this..."

* * *

Nearly a full hour after radioing ahead, Vi, Eighter, and the Boss arrived at the remains of Orange Star Base, where they were greeted by Videl. "Ma'am, it's good to see you." The officer noted the unusual armor that both Boss and Vi wore. "Nice outfits.

"Yeah, good to see you too," the blonde sighed. The Boss turned and looked skyward, just as the blue skinned lieutenant in Cooler's merry brigade descended down. "Have fun tailing us?"

Salza wrinkled his nose a bit and looked around. His scouter was activated, but he didn't detect a single power level higher than the Boss's. "What exactly happened here?"

"This is all that remains of one of our bases," Boss explained. "The Devil's Pair came rolling through here, wiped out most of the remaining city and soldiers, then left."

The Brench snapped his head around, "Zhe Androids zhat lord Cooler is after? Why did you not—,"

"They only managed to send a message out _after_ surviving their attack. And even if they had sent it any sooner, it's not like we can stall 17 and 18. They're on a different level than the other Androids you've fought so far." Salza let out a disgusted sound as he started looking around again. It was obvious that he suspected them of something, but of course he couldn't come out and accuse them of anything. Not while his master still wanted to keep the Resistance around. "Misplace something?"

"No..." The lieutenant turned his scouter off and turned his skeptical gaze back to the Boss. "Tell me...why did you leave in zhe middle of zhe night wizhout so much as a word to us?"

"It's a Resistance affair, and it's not like the Devil's Pair leave a trail of breadcrumbs to follow after. This wouldn't have been an issue for you, and since your boss is still planning our attack I thought we could spare the time to regroup with the survivors here."

"So as zhe leader of zhis army, you took it upon yourself to come here personally in order to save nozhing?"

The Boss wrinkled her nose at the accusation. "My people were attacked. Hundreds of people, soldiers and civilians died here. As their leader, I take concern of every attack and its aftermath on my people. I'm sure caring about one's subordinates is something you people might not understand."

"Do not presume to understand Lord Cooler, woman." Salza looked ready to keep the argument going, but was cut short when a call came to him on his scouter. "Yes? M-my lord, I...I was um..." A glance at the humans gave Salza the lie he needed. "I was providing an escort for our new...friends. Zhere was an attack on one of their bases by zhe Androids. No sir! No sign of zhem!" The Boss smirked at Salza, as one might do to a child being scolded by their parent. Salza turned away from the smug human. It was a challenge to resist every urge he had to turn the smirking woman into dust. "Yes sir. I shall return as quickly as possible..." Salza turned to the humans as he turned off his scouter. "Consider zhis your only warning. Do not hide anyzhing from us. Or else you, and your people _will_ pay dearly for it..."

Salza blasted off towards Jingle Outpost, kicking up dirt that flew in the face of the humans as he left. All the Boss cared about though was that he was gone. "Is there anything left here that can help Gohan or Trunks?"

"No ma'am," Videl responded. "The Devil's Pair destroyed...well, everything."

"Good. Then you and Vi head over and start patching them up. When you're done...try to explain the situation as best as you can to them."

"I think it's best if they hear this from you." The Boss shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I've already got to report this to the Overseer."

"So Gohan will just understand when we tell him, 'Hey, remember that Frieza guy? Well, his brother is here and we're going to be working for him for awhile.'" The blonde leader groaned and immediately reached into her back pocket for a cigarette. She hated when Vi was right.

"Shit...when you put it like that..." She turned to the rest of the survivors of Orange Star. Only a handful of soldiers, and about two dozen civilians. It by far wasn't the worst the Devil's Pair had done, but it sure as hell wasn't good. "Get all the civilians loaded up into vehicles and send them back to Jingle Outpost as quickly as possible. Videl, Vi...we're sticking around I guess."

* * *

Android 2 had to wonder how a human like Doctor Gero could have existed in his time. Although her programming told her to hate all humans, to unleash her destructive wrath upon them all, her creator would always be an exception to that rule. It never felt like part of her programming to respect Gero, more of a choice. Though with Android 9 leading the helm now, her primary directive was loyalty to the Red Ribbon Army above all else.

But as she watched the one and only machine in creation capable of reconstructing Android 1's unique body, Android 2 could only marvel at how ahead of his time Gero was. The man was an unparalleled genius.

Although Gero's work outlived him, and he never truly finished most of his projects, his mind was something to be revered. Android 9 may have led the charge to conquer Earth, but Doctor Gero was the man who came up with the plans for world domination. Though her creator would never be able to finish what he started, and his talents were cast to the side because of his legacy. Android 1 would never truly be completed, Androids 17 and 18 would be forever rebellious until they were put down, and the rest were riddled with major malfunctions in their programming. She was no exception.

Android 7 was greedy and callous, not to mention stupid. If there was something of value to be had, treasure, a trophy, 7 would abandon her cause and her sense of self preservation to obtain it. She was never allowed to be on her own, due to how easily exploited she was. Although being denied said valuable was as risky and dangerous to her foes as it was to her. If only they could channel that gold-digger drive to something more useful, 7 would be an impeccable soldier.

Android 6 was the most insufferable, due to his arrogant pride. He could learn lessons in humility from Vegeta. Although 6's power was second to Android 4's as far as the chain of command went, he was still the strongest among the three biggest defects. This meant little however, as 6 often bit off more than he could chew with 1, 2, 4, and even 9. No matter how many times you put him down, no matter how many times he was knocked down, dismantled and put back together without being shut down, 6 continued to believe he was the best. His 'confidence' would do wonders with psychological warfare against the humans, and often times it did, if only he didn't get caught up in his 'mightier than thou' speeches.

The weakest, and biggest oddity among the 'defects' was Android 5. More of a self absorbed ego maniac than a soldier, Android 5 believed himself to be the most beautiful and alluring thing in all of creation. Rather than fight, 5 would attempt to 'seduce' his foes rather than destroying them to improve its own vanity. Like Android 7, this one was never allowed to be alone, to due his own weakness and foolishness. If there were any redeeming qualities to Android 5, 2 certainly didn't see them.

Android 4 was classified as a 'defect' but she was one of the most reliable Androids by a wide margin. She was dedicated, loyal, and more importantly her 'defect' was easily avoidable. Just avoid comparing 4 to anyone else, be they Android, Z Fighter, or alien dictator, and she would never run rampant with jealousy. Unfortunately, once that dam broke, it is always difficult to stop the tide of envy that overcomes Android 4. She has proven herself though, and more often than not she is put in charge of leading the three 'defects,' much to Android 6's frustration.

Their 'prodigy,' Android 3, was perhaps the biggest failure of all. She was designed to be the perfect tactile killing machine, the ultimate master of combat. Her processors were second to none on the planet, her memory allowed her to analyze and break down an opponent's fighting style, exploiting weaknesses and holes in their defenses. The problem was, Android 3 preferred never to fight. She was about as active as a sloth. Yet she had everything that would make her an impeccable warrior. Despite this, Android 3 was still more powerful than even Android 4. And should she actually make an attempt in battle, she might even give Android 2 a run for her money. However, her defect prevented her from putting even half of her full potential into anything she did.

Even if she did, Android 2 was not to be taken lightly. Although she was created after Android 1, she was completed long before he was even active. Android 2 was designed to be the ultimate assassin, and that was exactly what she was. During the previous Red Ribbon Army's campaign, Android 2 eliminated countless key targets who stood in their way. Back then, Android 2 was simply an automaton, with only just enough personality to keep her independent without needing direct control or orders to complete her mission. After the Red Ribbon's fall, Gero put Android 2 back into stasis for decades, and during that time she had been upgraded with new tech. A cloaking device, an energy cycler which allowed her to never run out of energy similar to her brothers 17 and 18, and many new parts and pieces of alien tech not of this world. After Android 9 reactivated her and the other Androids, 2 had a new wrathful personality about her. She was vicious, cruel, and brutal in her assaults.

After realizing that many of her new upgrades came from whatever tech Gero managed to salvage from the alien invaders, namely parts from a certain alien cyborg, Android 2 wondered if her anger and fury had anything to do with Frieza himself.

And then there was Android 1. While Android 2 was the 'veteran' of the team, Android 1 had only been activated for the first time by Android 9. Unlike the others, he never knew Gero personally, only what was implanted into his memory. Where Android 2 was considered Gero's favorite, Android 1 was meant to be his ultimate creation. An attempt at creating a 'bio-warrior' based on the plans of a Doctor Wheelo, Android 1's design was almost beyond comprehension. A perfect combination of organic cells mixed with an unusual liquid metal Gero based after Wheelo's design, Android 1's skin was created to literally steal the energy out from an opponent's body. Unfortunately, whatever plans for perfection Gero had for Android 1 were incomplete.

It was because of that reason that Android 1 would consume the world if it meant achieving perfection.

For now though, with an arm and half of his body removed, Android 1 had to stay in the crafting chamber until his body was repaired. Even Android 3 with all her analytical capabilities had difficulty understanding the machine. All they needed to know was that it could fix Android 1, should his body ever be severely damaged.

Android 2 heard the doors behind her open as 3 walked in and stood next to her. They both stared at their dormant leader as the machine continued to graft and fix 1's damaged form. "Android 9 has an assignment for you."

"It can wait." Android 3 looked at her sister, and then to their brother.

"You being here will not speed up his recovery. Our Commander—,"

"Is a cowardly blow hard, and I will get to whatever menial task he'll have me doing once I'm sure Android 1 is stable."

The redhead Android continued to stare at 2, before simply nodding her head. Android 3 was logical if nothing else. She had delivered the message, and she knew better than to try to force Android 2 to do anything. Even Android 9 couldn't command that on a bad day. Her anger and hatred were known to be much stronger than even the programming that kept her loyal and subservient to Android 9. And sometimes it seemed like a very thin line for 2. The only beings in creation she held any semblance of loyalty or devotion towards were Doctor Gero and Android 1.

"I shall be sure to pass along the message." As Android 3 turned to leave, the base gave a violent shake. Not a second later, alarms began wailing noisily. 3 began to receive information on the attack immediately. "Air strike...ooh, this is interesting..."

Android 2 turned her head, her sunglasses dropping down her knows a bit as her single Arcosian scarlet eye fixed on her sister. There wasn't much that could get 3's attention, let alone her interest. "What is...?"

When 2 and 3 joined the others outside of the base, all eyes were skyward. Android 2 simply scowled at what she presumed to be the Fury Force with a small fleet of jets, planes, helicopters, and other aircraft descending onto their base with a hail of bullets, explosives, and any other form of destructive hellfire raining down from above.

"They still had aerial vehicles," 7 shouted with a gleeful smile on her wicked face. "The King's Army still had a stash of them left! I—w-we have to have them!"

"To think they would be holding back this long." Android 3 locked her eyes on one jet doing a bombing run on the outskirts of their fortress. There were no life signs on the ship, but her scanners showed that the craft was piloted by some sort of computer. "Analyzing..." It took less than a second for her to recognize the tech that the Fury Force had modified their ships with. "Impressive. A large number of these fighters are automated, controlled by a computer. Modified tech, likely salvaged from our destroyed drones."

Android 7 cackled with delight, relishing in the fact that the drones already belonged to them. "They used our tech?! Those jets belong to us!"

"4, take 5, 6, and 7 and stop their ground forces," 2 ordered. "Android 3, we're going to stop those ships." She didn't want to hear 7 complain about how she wanted to take all the ships for herself, or how Android 6 was offended that he didn't get the more trying challenge. Android 2 was going to bring the Fury Force the hell they so eagerly craved.

Androids 2 and 3 took to the sky. 2 launched several blasts of raw white power into several heavily armed helicopters, while 3 targeted and shot through drone jets one by one with suburb accuracy, thanks to precise shots from her eyes. In mere seconds, the Fury Force's imposing and inspiring fleet was turning into a raining hell storm of flaming wreckage and debris.

Android 4 was astonished when she saw how far the Fury Force had pushed into their base. Though it didn't matter at this point. She danced through their numbers, twirling, diving, spinning, flipping, shifting across the battlefield as fluid as water. In seconds, she had danced her way elegantly through an entire elite squadron of animal-hybrid soldiers. The next second, every last one of them crumbled to the ground as a mob of corpses.

"Perfect," 4 cheered, before she moved on to the next group.

The Fury Force was armed with unique, and heavily modified weaponry, clearly meant to fight against the Androids themselves. Android 7 was fascinated with the rare, exotic weaponry. She made sure to take her time, immobilizing and slaughtering the hapless, weakling animal-hybrid soldiers one at a time to ensure the preservation of their arsenal. By the time she was done, there was a pile of weapons stacked off to the side, and a pile of dead and broken bodies on the other. Android 7's laid her eyes on the unique, modified weaponry she collected.

"Hehehe...they're all mine now!"

Android 6 reveled in the despair and grief he caused the other hybrids, as he made strides to show the soldiers how outclassed they were. Any soldiers with guns, he would blast them swiftly and accurately before they could even take aim. The larger, heavily armored soldiers, Android 6 killed them with his bare hands before they could register his speed. He played by their pitiful standards, only to show his superiority against them. No creature, no animal was greater than him.

He would prove to the universe how unyielding his power would be.

Another team was stopped as Android 5 descended into their path. The flashy Android flipped his hair back with a gloved hand and chuckled at the soldiers. "Boys, boys, there's no need for this. You could just join the Red Ribbon Army instead of fighting us. And then, you can marvel at my beauty all you want—,"

5 was silenced when a soldier fired a single shot directly at the Android's forehead, which threw 5's head back. The Fury Force's hopes skyrocketed as it looked like 5 might go down, if only for a second. Android 5 righted his head and slowly pealed the flattened round off his forehead.

"Well..." 5 flicked the bullet back at the shooter with enough force to rip through his chest. The other soldiers gawked at their deceased friend in horror. Android 5 took off his sunglasses and threw them angrily at the ground. "NOW YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

Android 2 and 3 turned as a massive explosion engulfed almost all of Sector 23. It had to be one of their siblings, of course. The deadly pair had finished destroying the remaining aircrafts before moving on to stop the forward parties of the Fury Force.

"Don't worry about the rabble," 2 ordered. "Find General Bon..."

"Confirmed." 2 and 3 quickly dove for the head of the largest forward party.

General Bon plowed through legions of Red Ribbon drones, tearing through them with his horns, ripping them in half with his bare hands, or crushing them under a massive boot. Behind Bon were some of the most dedicated, elite veterans of the Fury Force, blasting their way through the mob of drones with their leader.

"Keep fighting! For King Furry! For Earth!"

The legion cried out in victory, before half of them were blown to nothing before General Bon's eyes. The bull gaped in horror before he turned around, seeing Androids 2 and 3 landing before his path.

The Android wearing all black wrinkled her nose, while the redhead remained passive and silent. "General Bon...this is quite the idiotic move on your part."

"Chances of victory even with aerial support was less than one whole percent," Android 3 added. The General reacted by pulling out a small device in the grip of his furred fist. 3's eyes locked onto the object and scanned it. "Oh...that's a rather destructive bomb."

"Bomb?!"

"Why is the General holding a bomb!?"

Android 2 didn't take her eyes off Bon, as the animal-human snorted at her. "Give me the remote to shut down the Devil's Pair..."

"Oh this is rich. You come knocking on our front door and you want to make demands?"

"I know the Red Ribbon Army has some kind of remote to deactivate those two monsters. That's why they never attack, and you never attack them. You still want to control them!"

"Androids 17 and 18 attack our bases and invade our territory frequently," 3 stated. "They do not attack this main fortress of ours, because even for them there's a high chance that they would not survive. Even without a remote."

"And their chances of survival is going to be absolute zero when you bastards give me the remote!"

"That statement is false. The moment Androids 17 and 18 see you they will most likely—,"

"Android 3, shut up." The analytical Android stayed silent on 2's orders. "How much damage could that bomb do to our facilities?"

"That bomb would do damage to you or I at this range," 3 replied. And now the enemy knew that for a fact.

Android 2 slowly turned to her sister and scowled, "Thank you..."

"Last chance you bucket of bolts," Bon screamed. His resolve was hardened now that he knew he had some form of edge.

"How did he get a weapon so powerful anyway," 2 asked. She turned to her sister, completely ignoring the General of the Fury Force.

"After the incidents with King Piccolo, the Saiyans, and then Frieza and Cold's invasion, the former King Furry most likely realized he would need to construct weapons capable of defending the planet." Bon and the other Fury Force members just stared at the Android pair as they discussed _how_ Bon was in possession of such a capable weapon, rather than heed his demands.

The General was not happy.

"You little—LISTEN TO ME!"

"So it's likely that the Fury Force is sitting on even more weapons like this?"

"It is a possibility, yes."

Bon's eyes widened with rage. Even his own men felt like their leader was going to sacrifice them all at any moment. The General flipped the cap to arm the detonator, which finally seemed to draw 2 and 3's attention. "I'm done negotiating! Give me the remote NOW or I wipe us all—,"

The General never had a chance to finish his sentence after Android 2 suddenly vanished from sight. The instant she disappeared, Bon's arm inexplicably felt much lighter.

Android to had cleaved the General's massive arm from his body with a single swipe of her hand. Once Bon had registered the dismemberment, he was howling in pain. This too lasted less than a moment as Android 2 finished the General off by stabbing the same arm clean through Bon's chest.

The Fury Force were silent, stricken with terror as their leader was dead in a heartbeat. Behind Android 2, 3 had caught Bon's dismembered arm and examined the explosive curiously.

"Now then..." 2 viciously pulled her arm out of Bon's chest and allowed the bull to crumble into a heavy, lifeless heap. The Fury Force was scared stiff. It only made things worse when Androids 4, 5, 6, and 7 all came into view and surrounded the military force. Android 2 lowered her sunglasses and glared at the petrified soldiers before her with intense, scarlet orbs. "Who would like to die first...?"

* * *

Cooler watched the monitor in silence as the Androids dove on their prey like carnivorous beasts and started to destroy them one by one. Though it was very rare to see the prey outnumber the predator and get torn apart so easily.

Under any normal circumstance, Cooler might have enjoyed watching such carnage from the luxury of his ship, even if it was completely one sided. This army of...unusual Earthlings did provide a use for Cooler, even in their suicidal tactics. Not like the hours of footage he watched with these Red Ribbons battling Goku and his allies, which showed how the Androids fought.

The 'Fury Force' attack gave Cooler a target, and it showed him the enemy's defenses in action. Even for him and his Armored Squadron, a frontal assault would be suicide. Half of the Fury Force was wiped out with the initial push before knocking through their front gates. Thankfully, the main Red Ribbon base sat in the heart of their territory.

It wouldn't be a short confrontation by any means. But leaving the various outposts and defensive fortresses that littered the Red Ribbon territory and only going after their heart like the Fury Force? Sheep to the slaughter. Despite having the capability to drop down right on their heads with his ship, the main fortress had thousands, if not millions of drones and heavy mechs to defend it. The Earthlings barely scratched the surface.

The temptation to destroy the blue marble presented itself again. At this point it was less about honor and more about damage control. But he was owed a Super Saiyan, and the Androids had deprived him of that honor. Cooler would destroy everything the Androids had for crossing him, and then and only then would he destroy only thing left of Son Goku's legacy, and of his family's failings. The Earth itself.

The only solace Earth gave him was that it handed Cooler his family's empire to him on a silver platter. The Planetary Trade Organization, the name of King Cold's 'enterprise' and Frieza's own personal army to gallivant around the galaxy playing God of Destruction as he pleased. Their father took anything and any person of value into his private army, the official Empire, leaving Frieza the spoils of war, and giving Cooler the scraps.

And now he was on the throne. His father's personal army erased from the universe with the exception of one loyal General, and the PTO itself having to be broken down and rebuilt as Cooler desired. It was all one empire now. _His_ empire.

The notion to spare Earth crossed Cooler's mind, albeit briefly. They were the reason his birthright was restored, rightfully given to him after King Cold pawned off his future to Frieza. That wretched day.

" _He is clearly meant to rule the universe!"_

Cooler's hatred broke when his father's voice echoed in his mind. More of those damn memories he couldn't shake.

" _He is unstable, and has too much power for his own good. And as I've told you, genocide and conquest are_ not _my goals. This empire is mine, and you will obey me, Cold."_

Cooler clutched the side of his head as the vivid memories forced themselves to the surface. He found himself back home, in the royal hall of the capital of Planet Arcose. A young prince found himself hiding from sight, watching the feud between the ruler of the House of Cold, and the Empress of Arcose.

* * *

 _The Empress sat in her throne, adorned in the finest Arcosian robes that hung from her shoulders. She was a striking image of beauty in her people's true form, even by the standards of Arcose. Many believed the Empress to be a goddess, a savior of the universe. Her skin and bio-armor looked as cold and frigid as ice, which stood in contrast to the sharp, piercing scarlet eyes she had._

" _You stupid...foolish woman! We have been given a gift! Frieza's power level at this young age, his might as a warrior—,"_

" _He destroyed a planet that was under the protection of the Planetary Salvation Force. A planet under_ my _protection. He is in custody now, as he should be, but I am done allowing you to corrupt him as his father."_

 _Cold sneered viciously. His muscles tensed with fury, prompting the Empress's bodyguards to stand ready. Elite Arcosians, fully devoted to their ruler, who would give no hesitation to slaughtering the head of a prestigious House to defend the Empress._

" _And what will you do with Frieza then? We have been given a gift to challenge the Gods themselves with him! And you would turn him into a pacifist like you!?" Cold wrinkled his nose with distaste. "Or would you kill him? Murder my darling Frieza, your own son, like a feral animal?"_

 _The Empress sighed and rose from her throne. "I am not as ruthless as you, husband. I realize Frieza is a rarity among our people, but I will not allow you to use him as a tool of destruction. And I will not tolerate you coming in here and making demands for who is going to be the heir to the throne. You may be my husband, but I am the ruler of our people, and I am the leader of the Salvation Force." The Empress and Cold exchanged furious glares at one another, but it was he who succumbed to the pressure._

" _As you wish..." The vicious monarch stomped out of the throne room. The doors gave a heavy slam as Cold had left._

 _The Empress sat back down in her chair and sighed. Cooler continued to hide in the wings of the grand hall, staring at his mother without making a single noise. He saw the look in her eyes._

 _The temptation to kill Cold_.

* * *

Cooler snapped out of his dream when something started beeping loudly. He took a moment to bring himself back to reality, to gain his bearings, before answering the incoming call. "Salza?"

" _No sir, it's General Suika."_

The tyrant's delirium was shaken before he pulled the Elegrant General on screen. "Is there something to report?"

" _Nothing worth bothering you over. Your ship is still transmitting your location, but barely. You've been in that system for over a day now. Is the Super Saiyan not there?"_

 _No_ , was the immediate answer that came to mind, but Cooler couldn't bring himself to admit the truth. His vision into the past had shaken him.

"The Super Saiyan...is already dead."

" _You sound...less than thrilled."_ She could read Cooler's mood in an instant. He admired her talents of observation, but the last thing the monarch wanted was to be analyzed by his subordinate. _"The Armored Squadron...are they..."_

"They're alive. The Super Saiyan was killed a few years after my father and brother. He was killed by these...Androids created by one of Earth's military powers."

" _They were able to create something that could kill the Super Saiyan?"_ Cooler did not care for the tone his General used. _"If that's the case, you should blow up the planet and be done with it."_

"Do not lecture me, Suika." Unfortunately, Suika was the only being in the universe who could, and _would_ lecture the tyrant if she wanted to.

" _All I'm saying is that this planet is filled with underdogs that have done the impossible. The Royal Guard, your father's Nudoru Unit, even my fellow Generals were destroyed on that planet along with your family. If the Super Saiyan is no longer on that planet, then there should be no reason for you to be on that planet either my lord."_

Suika raised several points that Cooler argued a hundred times over with himself. He would go home and what? Tell tales of how a race of primitive backwater savages created artificial beings that killed the legendary Super Saiyan? It would be the boastful stories of an arrogant king.

But then he would hear that unholy laughter of Frieza's, his voice tormenting and calling Cooler a coward, a weakling. Worse than that was his father's voice calling the newly ascended king unworthy, a failure.

"These Androids stole the chance to redeem my family's honor...I will destroy them one by one, bit by bit so that they will experience every pain and every horror I would have inflicted on that blasted monkey! My vengeance, my moment of triumph over Frieza, over _King Cold_ was stolen from me Suika! And these Androids, this Red Ribbon Army, will pay for it! Pound for pound!"

Suika simply stared at her king through the monitor before simply bowing her head. _"Of course, sire. Could I be of any assistance? Perhaps we could dispatch a division nearby to—,"_

"No, you have your orders. Are we ready to expand again?"

" _The civil war cut our forces down by over half. But thanks to your shining example, those who survived, either through loyalty or being lucky enough to be spared your wrath, have risen greatly in power. The power level of our average soldiers is exceeding ten thousand. I've already hand picked a group with exceptionally high power levels to form a strike team, and they would even give the Ginyu Force a run for their money."_

Finally. An army of soldiers, rather than the hapless morons and thugs that Frieza was leading them to be. Cooler would sooner have the PTO cut in half twice over before wanting an endless army of weaklings. Frieza's tactics were just overwhelming numbers and extreme cruelty. Rarely did he ever get his own hands dirty. His power was more of a legend than it was a fact to most ordinary soldiers.

Cooler made sure that everyone, traitor, loyalist, reformed, witnessed his power. Whether it was wiping out half a brigade with the stroke of his hand, or blowing up a planet faster than they could ready their defenses, he made sure that everyone knew his might was truth, and that it was unmatched. That was the whole purpose of him coming to Earth, to strike down the Super Saiyan.

When Cooler took over and established order, he gave all of his men a very simple rule: become powerful and be rewarded, or be useless and forgotten. Whether through inspiration, fear, loyalty, or greed it seemed to work. Soldiers no longer sat around like lazy brats, and instead trained to become stronger to serve their new leader.

They were an army. _His_ army. It was shadow of success compared to the might of the true Arcosian Empire, but he had already succeeded his brother, and even surpassed his father's private army, and the newly reborn Planetary Trade Organization was still in its infancy. Once Earth was destroyed, then Cooler could continue to conquer the stars.

"Excellent work General. You may have the honor of beginning our campaign across the stars. I shouldn't have to remind you not to stretch our forces too thin. We need defenses of the core worlds, and to replenish our numbers if we are going to take control of larger territories."

" _Of course my lord. Might I be so bold as to make a simple request?"_ Cooler wrinkled his nose at Suika's coy little attitude. The Elegrant smiled at her lords sour expression. _"If you're going to make an issue of this campaign on Earth, I would request regular updates on the status of your mission, even from members of your Armored Squadron would suffice. Given the situation that happened previously with your family...keeping updated on whether you're alive or dead would be beneficial to prevent another rebellion."_

"My dear General, is that a lack of faith in me?"

" _To be fair sire, the death of your father all those years ago would have been impossible to imagine. You have become stronger than him, and much stronger than your brother. Now the Super Saiyan is dead and you insist on fighting the thing that did it. If there's anything I've learned from this, it's that this Earth is a universal tumor. It would be better for us to purge it, like Frieza did with planet Vegeta."_

"Your concern has been noted, General. Someone will report to you in twenty four hours. Dismissed." He didn't bother to hear more of her senseless prattling. He would not cower before a primitive planet whose kind had only just now walked out of the mud. Frieza's fear had lead to his obsession, to his demise. He would not let fear keep him from redeeming his family name.

The legacy of Goku, of Frieza's ultimate failure, would be purged before Cooler was done.

* * *

 **So...yeah. Kind of filler-y. This chapter wasn't meant to be as long as it ended up being, but...yeah, I can't really fix that to be honest. Next chapter begins the assault on the Red Ribbon Army, and more stuff with Trunks and Gohan to start things off at least. Also, the Boss's identity! Because there hasn't been a good spot to just sit and point it out for you guys.**

 **Also, backstory.**

 **Kudos to those who can pick up what Androids 1-7's personality defects are based off of. The hint is...there's 7 of them. And it's kind of in their description during Android 2's intro scene this chapter. Light little hints and stuff. On the note of Androids, OH LOOK! More Dragon Ball Online references, with Android 9. Expect more DBO stuff in the future.**

 **Also, Satan family. They're going to be a thing still! A rather crucial thing.**

 **And finally, Suika's race, the Elegrants? Made up name for Zarbon's people. Obviously a light mangling of the word 'elegant.' Brief explanation on her, she served under King Cold as one of his four Generals, she was the only one who stayed behind to help Cooler keep order in the PTO and Cold's Empire while Frieza and Cold went on their own personal campaign, and now serves as Supreme Commander under Cooler. Ugh, there's sooooo much I want to do with the PTO. Well...so much I want to show you guys. In my notes I literally have these factions I've mentioned previously (the Royal Guard, King's Generals, and the Nudoru Unit), as well as the squad Suika is building. I...I have a problem when it comes to character creation. I don't have plans to go into a lot of detail with these PTO groups with this story without it feeling...forced? Or just kind of out of place. So, don't expect much except for maybe a name drop here or there.**

 **Anyway, ranted too much. Author's notes too long. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are the drug that keeps the muse going.**


	4. Chapter 4: All or Nothing

All things considering, Gohan's reaction to the Boss's news could have been worse. She watched the young man closely as he stared at the ground in silence, turning the thought over in his head every which way. She did the same thing herself every spare second she had. If there were a better course of action, she would have taken it. Trunks on the other hand had been pacing back and forth. The kid wasn't even alive to witness Frieza's invasion, but he was ready to fire off at any minute if Gohan didn't stop him.

"I don't like this," the hero finally spoke.

"Trust me kid, I don't either. But what was I supposed to do? Tell the almighty space king that he wasn't welcome after he saved our asses?"

"I'm not saying you made the wrong choice Launch..." She twitched at the sound of her actual name. Over the years she had grown use to being called 'Boss.' Then again, there weren't many people who knew her before she was anything but the Boss. "You made the best choice honestly."

"What?! Gohan, how can you say that?" The hero and the Boss both turned to the infuriated Trunks. "Now we've got the Androids _and_ a galactic murderer running around on the planet!"

"If this...Cooler is really related to Frieza, he wouldn't have hesitated to destroy the Resistance just for sneezing," Gohan replied. "I've seen the cruelty that these people are capable of on Namek and on Earth. Launch did the right thing by making themselves useful. And even if they are evil, they did save her, and the Resistance at Muscle Tower." The hero turned back to the Resistance leader and dropped his head. "I just don't like the fact that he's here..."

"He doesn't know about you," Launch said. "He's hellbent on taking out the Androids though. With the gear he gave us, and him leading the charge, we might actually stand a chance of punching through the Red Ribbon Army."

"The Androids still outnumber him," Gohan said.

"But they can at least take their numbers down. Four against seven is a hell of a lot better than two. He's already said his men don't stand a chance against the stronger ones."

"So even against 17 and 18 it would be just him..." She could almost hear the gears in Gohan's head grinding away. Only one option popped out, and Launch couldn't even consider it.

"One problem at a time kid," Launch said. She offered Gohan the most supportive smile she could muster. Even if it meant allying with a universal evil, if it could take out even one faction of the Androids, or at least cripple them, it would be enough of a victory for her. "You need to rest up. If anything, we're going to either deal with a tyrant who no longer sees us as useful if he destroys the Red Ribbon Army, or we're going to deal with a pissed off army. You're going to need to be in top shape in either case."

"Right. We won't let you down Launch." The young man gave the Boss a smile that reminded her of Goku's, and her heart gave a painful twist. What she wouldn't give to have him back right now.

She left both Saiyan heroes with a smile before leaving the shelter Videl had put them in, a small shack out on the edge of the woodlands. It was secluded, peaceful. Probably an ideal place to live before things went to hell.

She left with both Videl and Vi. Leaving behind anyone would stir up suspicion from their allies. Things could not go wrong now. For the first time in over a decade, the Boss could finally see an end to the war. She just couldn't figure out how it was going to end yet.

* * *

By the time the trio had arrived back to Muscle Outpost, it was almost morning again. The Resistance was preparing for a full out assault, armed and protected with alien weaponry and armor. She really couldn't argue with the advantages that Cooler's more advanced tech and armor provided their people over the Red Ribbon's drone legions. The laser weapons managed to take down the drones in a single shot, and the dense, flexible armor prevented them from getting torn apart by the Red Ribbon's munitions.

Despite their new advantage, the superior numbers the Red Ribbon Army had made the coming battle an even fight at best.

Launch made her way towards the main tower as soon as they returned to base. Neither Vi nor Videl said a word. They knew she had to talk to their 'contractor,' the Overseer. So far she was the only one left in the dark about the last couple of days since Cooler arrived. And given that her son had been in a skirmish with the Devil's Pair, it was high time for an update.

When she arrived in the communications room, it was thankfully empty. Not a lot of people actually knew who the Overseer was. Launch had that courtesy due to their history together. She dialed in Bulma's frequency and waited until she answered on the other side.

" _Launch...? Oh shit..."_

"Trunks is alive. He and Gohan were roughed up, but they're alive. It was the Devil's Pair, again..."

Bulma pulled the goggles off of her head and sighed with a mixture of worry and relief. Launch always knew that one day she might have to tell Bulma that her son was dead. That was a day she wasn't looking forward to. But things were bad enough that Trunks was held in the same regard as Gohan was. They were the only ones with 'super powers' and they were the only ones who stood a chance against the Androids. They couldn't afford to hold an advantage like that on the sidelines. After Trunks ran away enough times, Bulma realized she couldn't stop her son even if she wanted to.

The Overseer's eyes lit up when they moved back to Launch. _"Wait...what are you wearing? That looks like...Saiyan armor?"_

"That...was the other thing..." If it were at all possible, Bulma's face seemed to grow even more worried. "Turns out that Frieza guy...has a brother. He's on Earth, and he was hunting to kill Goku. But he realized the Androids were the ones that killed Goku, so he's after them instead. And we've managed to keep Gohan and Trunks a secret."

" _But wait, Launch...why are you wearing his armor then?"_

A feeling of dread filled the woman's stomach. It was almost similar to the 'Your Son is Dead' speech Launch had rehearsed probably a dozen times in the worst case scenario. It was a conversation she really didn't want to have.

"He...when he first showed up, he pulled our asses out of a fire. Probably saved the Resistance by doing it too. We managed to...make a deal with him. We're providing him information on the Androids and the Red Ribbons, and he's going to help us wipe them out. Their leader is planning an attack on their main fortress now. He's shown himself to be more than a match for the Red Androids. He also plans on going after the Devil's Pair after destroying the Red Ribbon Army."

Bulma didn't say anything. She was silent, but Launch saw through the woman's eyes that her brain was working through the possibilities. Although Bulma liked to keep her status as the Resistance's Overseer a secret from her son, Launch considered her to be the true leader of the Resistance. As the Boss, she just brought people together to form a small band of would-be soldiers. It was Bulma who organized them and supplied them with whatever they could scavenge and give to her. Launch herself was more of a field commander than anything. If Bulma didn't help them as long as she had, the Resistance would have been dead long ago.

" _Is there any way you can contract the Fury Force? Maybe if we get more forces on our side..."_

"From what I understand, the Fury Force has already launched an assault on the Red Ribbons. And...we can both guess how that's ended." Bulma thought the same thing as Launch when she first heard of General Bon attacking Android 9 head on.

" _Fucking idiot..."_

The _exact_ same thought.

"As far as our hopes go...they're riding on Cooler and his men for now."

" _Wonderful..."_ Bulma put a cigarette in her mouth just as the screen went on the fritz for half a second. Likely a result of the recent Red Ribbon attack, or lousy transmission. When Bulma's image was settled again, the cigarette was lit and she was adjusting some tech off screen. _"Sorry. I'm running on fumes out here. I've almost got the wind turbines set up, but it would be a lot easier if I had my son who could fly."_

"I can't really do anything to stop this. I'm just letting you know what's been going on."

" _I understand...good luck Launch."_

Launch could tell that Bulma wanted to protest, the same way Gohan wanted to. They were both the only two still alive who witnessed the horror of Cooler's people firsthand, on Namek, and then again on Earth. She certainly didn't want to rely on him, but the Red Ribbon Army nearly wiped out the Resistance for good. And now with the Fury Force undoubtedly gone, it was all going to rest on Gohan. She wouldn't do that, not after everything Gohan and his father had sacrificed for the planet.

When she came back outside, the Boss was escorted to where Cooler and his men were loitering. "Ah, she has finally arrived," Salza said. She made sure to give the nosy alien a foul glare. Predictably, he didn't even blink.

"It's good of you to join," Cooler said with just the appropriate amount of respect. "You neglected to mention there was another army on Earth. The Fury Force?"

"H-how do you—,"

"They attacked the main Red Ribbon fortress directly, and were wiped out within minutes. Quite a miserable display really..." Launch kept the fact that the Fury Force was more formidable than the Resistance to herself. But if Cooler had watched Bon's forces at their most extreme, then the monarch likely knew this already. Launch wasn't quite sure if she wanted Cooler to be desperate enough to rely on them or not. "Our assault will be more coordinated."

It was a relief Cooler didn't want to rush in like Bon and his men. "Alright...what did you have in mind?"

"Your map." Launch pulled out the small device Bulma made for her and pressed a button on its side to project a holographic image of the continent, and the Red Ribbon territory. Cooler raised his finger along the eastern border closest to Jingle Outpost. "A straight line would be most effective to reach the fortress quickly. Their territory however is guarded by a string of smaller defense posts and legions of those robotic drones."

"The Iron Line," she said. Cooler gave her a scalding look for interrupting him. "That's what we call it."

Cooler took his eyes off the woman and moved them back to the map, "My men and I will lead the first attack and do as much damage to their 'Iron Line' as possible."

"We don't know what's on the other side of that line though," Launch admitted. "We've never gotten far enough into their territory to—,"

"Which is why I viewed the area from orbit." As much as Launch didn't want Cooler's presence on her planet, she was becoming more and more grateful for it by the second. "The rest of their territory is a series of small bases and outposts, likely to store reinforcements. My men and I will blow through their first layer of defenses as quickly as possible and destroy as many of the drones as we can. We'll make a bombing run to their fortress, but we can't let the Androids gain the element of surprise on us again. We'll attack them head on before they have a chance to counter attack."

"So, you want us to trail behind and cut off their reinforcements then."

"Very astute. While my men and I assault their main forces, you will cut off the reinforcements and prevent their numbers from boxing us in. After destroying the Androids, we'll help you mop up the stragglers."

It was a sound plan. Launch knew that these guys ran on a charge, unlike the Androids. If they wasted all their power on the small fry, the Androids could tear them apart. It was one of the main reasons they could never strike a serious blow against the Androids with just Gohan. That meant that the Resistance had to handle a few hundred thousand drones. Without any backup of their own.

"We'll keep them off you, so long as you give us a fighting chance."

"What would I be if not merciful?" Certainly not honest.

"Give me time to prepare my people. We'll mobilize as quickly as possible."

Cooler nodded. The woman quickly turned back the way she came. Cooler's men started laughing quietly as they watched the weathered woman leaving. "Poor little humans," Neiz snickered.

"I almost lost it when Lord Cooler said he was merciful!"

The monarch said nothing as his men continued to laugh. Cooler unfortunately found that twisting his mothers words was still distasteful. But the Earthlings would play their part, and with any luck survive long enough to serve their purpose.

* * *

"How can you just sit there Gohan?!" Trunks' patience had finally worn thin. Gohan lifted his head off his knuckles and looked up at the angry youth. "You're letting them take this on by themselves?! This alien is a monster!"

"I know."

"And you're okay with him working with the Resistance!?"

"Not really."

"So why are we just sitting here while they attack the Red Ribbon Army?!"

Trunks got angrier when Gohan smiled. He understood Trunks' anger. He knew that passionate fury at his age. "Because we're out of options. I can't fight him _and_ the Androids at the same time. If he wants to take out the Androids and if he's helping the Resistance, then our best option is to wait it out. If he does take down the Red Ribbon Army, that helps Earth."

"So we're just trading one threat for another! One that proves to be worse for us than the one it destroys!"

"Oh, that's only if you have faith that Cooler can do it." Trunks fumed even worse than before. It was bad enough to make his mentor flinch away with a giddy giggle. He wasn't sure if Trunks' angry face matched Vegeta's or Bulma's, or which one was scarier. "Hey! I think they have a chance!"

"That's...do you even hear yourself?! There's a monster out there who can blow up the planet and you just want to sit here and do nothing?!"

"But he's not blowing up the planet right now," Gohan stated. "He wants to take out the Androids because they killed my father. If he can take out the Red Ribbons, then that's a victory we haven't gotten in years. And if he fails against them, or falls fighting 17 and 18, then nothing chances, except maybe he does some serious damage to the enemy."

Trunks relaxed a little more, "So we're hoping that he fails, but that he might do enough damage to where we can handle it?"

"I honestly hope he can handle them." Trunks' brief clarity on the situation devolved back into anger. "Think Trunks, if he wanted to just kill everyone here, he would have done so already and just blow up the planet. This is personal for him. My father killed his family, and he comes back wanting revenge, and turns to the Androids instead. He's killing their killers. It's kind of a...pride thing." Vegeta is who came to mind when Gohan figured out Cooler's motives. Pride had kept Earth safe, at least long enough to give them time. Frieza, Cold, and now Cooler were considered the most powerful beings in the universe. Frieza's pride had brought him and Cold to Earth, and now their failures had brought Cooler instead. It was a repeat of history. "We have time to use this to our advantage. If he's going to take on the Androids, I'm hoping this guy makes a difference."

"But then what about after he gets revenge?"

"He might just spare the planet then..." That was a big hope on Gohan's part. He could tell Launch was hoping the same thing however. If Gohan and Trunks laid low, if the Super Saiyan threat was gone, maybe Cooler would just leave Earth alone to live peacefully. It certainly wasn't like Gohan was going to chase after Cooler in an angry family feud. Earth had to rebuild, and Gohan needed to help them.

He felt the loss of the Fury Force all the way from the Red Ribbon's fortress. That many lives being lost at once hits the sense quickly. When Videl explained that General Bon led his forces against the Red Ribbons, it wasn't long after that Gohan felt the purge. Even though they weren't as powerful as Gohan, or even Trunks, the Fury Force still managed to make some real changes in the early years, and to the day had even made some major victories against the Red Ribbons. But they realized as long as the Androids and the Devil's Pair were around, they were fighting for survival rather than to win.

"Do you think this guy...might not blow up the planet?"

"Our best hope of that is that he might just take enough pity on an already dying world to leave it alone. Destroying Earth would be salt on the wound for the heroes who killed his family." But not for the Androids who took his prize. Destroying them and letting their enemies win would be the ultimate insult. Killing everyone on the planet would only hurt if there were heroes.

Trunks' logic was set along the lines of, 'what does that make us?' Heroes didn't sit and let their hopes ride on whether or not a universal dictator would choose not to destroy a meaningless planet on a whim.

"I know you're upset about this, but after that last thrashing we took, it's not exactly like we can stand up to these guys right now. Launch said that he was able to take on Androids 1 and 2 without breaking a sweat. That means he's not going to be easy to take down, even for me. We can't take any chances."

Trunks wanted to keep arguing, but he knew Gohan wasn't wrong there. If there was any mantra Gohan had taught Trunks it was always, don't be stupid. They had never charged in against the Androids half broken. If they couldn't give it their all, they would end up dead, and in the long run of things it would do more harm than good. Trunks never fully experienced what Gohan had to sacrifice in order to salvage a few extra lives another day when he was the only Z Fighter left.

Gohan's days of being a hero were long over. Now he was basically one of many people leading the world in damage control. He was the poster boy for hope that one day the Androids would be gone. It's what his father was.

But Trunks was right. Goku wouldn't let Launch and the people of Earth risk their lives to do his job. If Goku were still around, the Androids would already be destroyed. With him gone, the Z Fighters fell apart and died, one by one, leaving a young Gohan to defend the planet. In those early years, before he became a Super Saiyan, there wasn't much he could do. But that didn't stop him from trying.

"If we revealed ourselves now...I'm guessing things would get worse for the Resistance too," Trunks said. "If he thinks the Super Saiyan is dead then he has nothing to gain from killing everyone else. So we just have to decide if the person coming to get revenge thirteen years later would be petty enough to destroy the planet anyway..."

"That's what I've been trying to figure out myself."

Gohan's focus was immediately torn to the sound of the door crashing in. The Saiyans snapped to their feet in an instant. _"Is anybody still alive?! Videl?! Videl, where are you!?"_

They both heaved a sigh of relief as they recognized the panicked voice. "In here, Champ!" An instant later, the weathered face of one of the oldest Resistance veterans sped around the corner. The next instant, the man was on his hands and knees, howling with tears flooding his eyes.

"OH THANK GOODNESS BOYS! You're still alive!" The grown man sobbed heroically as he lifted his head up to the heroes before him. "At least you survived! Tell me you at least beat them up good! Tell me you maimed one of those monsters!"

"Hercule, we're not the only ones that survived," Gohan said. The dramatic scene cut short really fast. The young hero just smiled and nodded his head, allowing the full effect of Hercule's display to sink in.

"O-oh...th-thank goodness! D-did Videl survive too?"

"She's back at Muscle Tower with your Boss." Hercule wiped the tear marks off of his face.

"Th-thank goodness..." Gohan limped over to Hercule and helped the Resistance soldier to his feet with a sympathetic smile. It was rare to be able to see good news have any effect anymore. "I saw the remains when I got back...I-I wasn't sure what to think."

"You didn't think to try the radio," Trunks asked.

"I tried, but nobody was answering. My radio has been on the fritz ever since I got to Kami's!"

"W-wait, what?" Hercule turned back to Gohan after noting the alarm in his voice. "Kami's as in...Kami's Lookout?"

"Y-yeah," Hercule spoke. "The Overseer thought we should investigate to see if we could find anything useful up there." Hercule and Trunks noticed the pale look of horror on Gohan's face. "G-Gohan...?"

The hero recalled the day that he and the other Z Fighters traveled up to the Lookout, shortly after Piccolo's death. With Goku, Vegeta, and then Piccolo killed by the Androids, Tien led the others to the Lookout in hopes that Mister Popo knew how to get a new Guardian of Earth, in hopes that they could get new Dragon Balls. But the Lookout was gone. There was nothing left aside from floating clouds and blue skies where Kami's Lookout once stood.

It added insult to injury that the Red Ribbon Army had leveled Korin's Tower before they started their invasion. Though the Z Fighters never did find any remains from Kami's Lookout. It was simply gone.

"That...that's impossible," Gohan stated. "Kami's Lookout it was...you're sure it was Kami's Lookout?"

Hercule was baffled to say the least, but he decided to save his questions for later. "U-uh...I think so? There was this one guy, Mister Popo there."

"M-Mister Popo? H-he's alive!?"

"Y-yeah! He was kinda cold. He just gave me a sack of beans and practically kicked me off the Lookout."

"B-BEANS!?" Hercule jumped in fright at Gohan's outburst. Even Trunks had some difficulty understanding where Gohan's excitement came from. "How many?! Where are they Hercule?"

"I-I have a bag right here," the former champion said as he held up a small bag that gave a light rattle. "H-he has more, I think, but he told me to bring these down to you!"

Gohan suddenly had options again. Without a word he snatched the bag from Hercule's hand before the human had time to even process what had happened. Gohan quickly popped a bean in his mouth and then flicked one to Trunks, "Start chewing!"

"Wh-what?"

"You want to join the fight, don't you?" Gohan swallowed the broken down bean and gave a content sigh. With a flex of his muscles, his bandages and wrappings burst off of his body. Trunks and Hercule both were in awe at the sight as Gohan miraculously healed. Trunks followed the example swiftly, and was more than satisfied with the same results.

"W-what the hell are these," the teen asked.

"Senzu Beans," Gohan answered. The hero turned to Hercule, who was still processing. "Champ, did Popo have any more of these beans?"

"I...I don't know. I think so? L-like I said, he gave these to me and practically kicked me off. I-I didn't have time to look around."

Gohan grabbed the man by the shoulders, "Hercule, I need you to go back. Tell Mister Popo that Gohan needs to know how many of these Senzu Beans he has, okay?"

"O-okay...but why?"

"A lot of lives might depend on if he has more of these or not..." Hercule's eyes lit up before he gave Gohan a firm nod of his head. "Good man. Get going! Hurry!"

"Right! I'm on it!" Hercule sprinted out of the shack and then jumped back into his ship. While Trunks watched the veteran soldier take off, Gohan tucked the baggy of Senzu Beans into his gi.

"Are we really going to fight," Trunks asked.

"More like...emergency backup, in case Cooler decides to betray them." Gohan floated up and Trunks followed him until they were both in the sky.

"You still haven't explained why you have so much faith that he'll win. The Red Ribbon Androids may not be the Devil's Pair, but they're still dangerous."

"As a pack, yes." Gohan gave his ward a confident smirk, "But they'll be divided with Cooler's numbers. And unlike the Devil's Pair, the Red Ribbon Androids have a weakness..." Trunks' eyes widened before Gohan shot off into the horizon.

"H-hey! Wait up! Gohan!" Trunks' translucent aura wrapped around him before he raced after Gohan.

* * *

They waited outside of the Iron Line for the Resistance to show up. Salza kept watch on the enemy's movement with Cooler. Dore and Neiz were ordered to watch for the Earthlings to arrive. He couldn't quite understand why Cooler wasted their time and energy to give the Earthlings a fighting chance. Why not just go straight through and leave the grunt work to the peasants? Perhaps he wanted to kill as many Earthlings as possible himself.

"Boss inbound," Neiz announced. Cooler stayed hovering in the air, facing forward as a small group of Resistance soldiers including their Boss stepped forward.

"We're here. Ready for your signal."

Cooler turned his gaze over his shoulder, meeting the Resistance leader's eyes. "When we push forward, that will be your time to come out."

"Understood. Do you need to be debriefed on the Androids again?"

"1, 2, and 3 are the ones I need to keep my eye on, the rest are manageable for my men. The first three will likely work together to take me out, while the others break off to deal with the Armored Squadron." That was the gist of the detail Launch gave Cooler and his men in the debriefing. She made sure to explain how Android 1's liquefied state worked, Android 2's cloaking, and Android 3's super analytical mind. He knew just as much as the Resistance did about their enemy. "When you push through, helped the Armored Squadron deal with their enemies first. They will assist me then in finishing off your Android problem."

"And getting your revenge," Launch added. He wouldn't forget what he was getting out of this bargain. Launch just wanted to remind herself why the Resistance was needed. For now.

"Of course. Armored Squadron, move out!"

They moved behind Cooler as he sped towards the Iron Line wrapped in a blue aura. The literal wall that stood on the edge of the Red Ribbon warped and blew away under the force of the speeding Arcosian, tearing a hole through it the size of a building. Cooler came to a stop on the other side of the wall, in the heart of the main military complex for the Iron Line's checkpoint. He hovered in the center of a platoon of drones who all took aim at him.

The Armored Squadron flew over the building their master was inside as it erupted in a destructive blast that ripped outward. Several more explosions trailed forward into the fortress, leveling the entire structure in an instant.

"Woo hoo!" Neiz cheered, "Look at him go!"

"He's not even trying," Dore shouted.

Their master rose out of the fires of the base and watched the surrounding forces mobilize. "Clear the larger waves out first. Once they're broken, we're moving forward."

"Yes sir!"

The Armored Squadron bombed through the packs of drones while Cooler leveled entire structures. Within a minute they blew a hole a mile wide in the Iron Line. Neiz and Dore howled with delight at at the destruction they caused. Salza stared over at Cooler, and saw that same calm, calculated stare out past the Iron Line. There was a plan to all this. The humans were serving Lord Cooler in some way they could not even imagine.

"Move forward and spread out. Destroy the bases along the wings and leave a straight path unmarked for the humans to cut through."

"Yes sire!"

"Bomb em to oblivion! We'll wipe those robots out!" Salza watched as Dore and Neiz flew off and Cooler kept his eyes fixed ahead.

"You have your orders Salza." The Brench lieutenant suddenly felt like he was just a pawn in Cooler's plan, just like the humans. Possibly worse, Cooler was testing Salza and the others. They had failed once already, they could not afford to again. Cooler did not show that mercy.

"Of course sir." Salza bowed his head to Cooler and then quickly departed to join in the destruction.

The monarch looked back as the Resistance made their move, engaging in a mildly fierce skirmish with the scraps he and his men left. Ahead his men were laying siege to the smaller, more wide spread outposts carrying reinforcements, cutting down the forward force by almost half. They leveled the left and right paths bare, leaving the center strip for the Earthlings to push through. They needed to be herded together by something.

That was when he saw movement coming from the distance. "They're here already..." Cooler could not afford to let the Androids get too close to the Resistance. He charged forward at untraceable speeds to meet them, and crashed into one of the Androids before they could process his presence. Two of the others launched counter blasts at the tyrant. He deflected both attacks and charged for Android 5 to his left. The flashy Android yelped in fright and tried to scramble away before Cooler grabbed the back of his jacket. "Don't you move."

Cooler turned and threw the lustful Android at 7. The two Androids collided into each other and went fumbling through the air over one another.

"I've got you, monster!" Android 6 launched a giant orb of glowing violet energy at Cooler's direction. The reigning king slapped the bomb far away into the Red Territory. Cooler spat towards the prideful automaton as nothing more than a bug standing in his way.

Android 4 dove down behind the monarch and swung her leg at him. Cooler snapped his arm up and blocked at the last moment, and was swift to bring his elbow back and smashing into the she-droid's face.

In that brief opening, Android 3 raced towards Cooler's right side. He saw the Android moving, and quickly twisted his feet up to attack her. She jumped into the air and met Cooler vertically from the ground. She threw a punch at Cooler, which he quickly met with a lightning fast elbow. He moved to counter, but Android 3 raced backwards before he could swing. She was clever, keeping a far distance away from him while she stared at Cooler with those cold, analytical eyes focused on him.

Cooler fixed his sights on Android 3. She was exploiting his openings in combat as soon as they appeared. Something he did not look forward to.

Android 2 flashed into Cooler's vision, wearing tactical commando gear and her signature pair of glasses. The two warriors exchanged a sour expression before diving at each other. Their collision together sent out a thunderous impact as the two warriors started clashing with one another. Every punch and kick Cooler threw, Android 2 managed to dodge and return just as quickly. Though Android 2 grew infuriated when she realized that the tyrant had yet to make an effort.

She fell back and put some distance between her and Cooler. The Arcosian ruler looked around and saw that he was effectively surrounded.

"Android 3, analysis."

The redhead's eyes flickered repeatedly as the combat data she gathered from watching Cooler in action. "No variation from original status. Threat level exceedingly high."

"You don't have anything _helpful_ to say," 4 asked bitterly.

"You are dressed better than he is." The fashion vain woman grinned and flipped her hair as she reveled in her praise. "If only because he wears no clothes."

"Now, don't praise our foe too much..." Android 1 floated above the tyrant with his arms crossed as the light from the sun bounced off his metallic body. "The high and mighty is already so full of himself."

"You've got nowhere to run this time Androids. When I'm done, you'll be nothing more than spare scrap iron I keep around for ship repairs."

Android 1 slowly descended so he was on equal level with Cooler. "Why do you throw your lot in with the Resistance? Do you trust them?"

The revenge driven tyrant was done waiting. His aura flared up as he charged towards Android 1. The two foes collided into each other and sped into the ground. Cooler had his elbow driven into the chrome machine's chest, and was pushing the Android through the ground. As they rode to a stop, Androids 2 and 3 appeared and both kicked Cooler squarely in the chest with enough force to send the tyrant flying back into the trench he carved.

"Are you ever going to fight without your dancers?!" Cooler watched as he saw movement behind the Androids.

Dore's fists were burning like stars as he threw each blast of raw power flying towards the Androids. The green skinned brute even grinned when they jumped up to dodge the explosions. Waiting above was Neiz, whose arms were crackling with electric power.

"HAVE IT!" The Zaltian shouted as he sent the blast directly towards the center, or brain, of the trio.

Android 3 looked too shocked to register the trap before 1 and 2 had moved out of the way. When the Binding Wave hit, Android 3's systems went out of control for the first time ever. Her body was paralyzed, and her brain had the negative side effect of being overloaded.

That was when Salza dove in with a sharp purple energy wrapped around his right arm, and a look of triumph on his face. "And zhis will finish you!" As the lieutenant dove in to cut Android 3 in half, his victory was robbed when Android 2 came down and grabbed Salza by the arm, just below his blade. "NO!" Salza twisted back and threw a punch, but the cold hearted Android blocked that strike with an open hand. She threw her fist up and slammed her knuckles hard into his chin, threatening to snap Salza's head off with the blow. The next punch from Android 2 sent Salza slamming down into the ground.

"Salza!" Dore sped towards his commander's aid, but about halfway to his target, he was pounced on by some lightweight. Shortly after, another lightweight slammed into his back hard enough to smash Dore face first into the dirt. Androids 5 and 7 both twisted back on Dore's arms, one locked firmly in place by each Android, and pushed the brute to the ground.

"Now, this is most unsightly," Android 4 said as she floated above Dore in judgment with the ever stoic Android 6. "What was that your master was saying about dancers?"

Salza pulled himself up and turned to Android 2. She kept a close guard to Android 3, who was still held paralyzed with Neiz's Binding Wave. The lieutenant's scouter alerted him to Dore's danger status. What was Neiz doing? Salza looked up at Android 2 again, and realized what Neiz was thinking. Save Dore or claim their prize. Android 2 couldn't defend their precious 'sister' from two fronts. But Dore might not survive that long.

"Dore you _imbecile_! You had better be able to get yourself freed!"

The muscle of the Armored Squadron perked his ears up to his commander's cry coming through his scouter.

"Yeah! You're ruining the plan!"

"Fuck you Neiz! You're the one stalling for me!" The Androids twisting his arms pulled back tighter on Dore's arms to ensure the brute he was going nowhere. His muscles were strained and tearing, veins bulging from his forest green skin. Despite the pain, Dore just chuckled.

"You're not going anywhere, handsome," 5 said.

The other Android, 7, snickered with delight, "I wonder how valuable an alien arm is..."

"Heh," Dore inhaled deeply, puffing his chest out against the ground. When he opened his mouth to exhale, a searing blast of power came bursting out and literally blew up in Dore's face. The blast threw him and the other two Androids back into the air, where Dore regained feeling and control of his arms. He twisted around and sneered at the droids, his face bleeding, cut, and his scouter destroyed. "This arm isn't going anywhere!"

Dore slammed his fist into 7's face first, and grabbed 5 by the throat to stop their flight. Android 5 reacted quickly and punched Dore across the face, and slammed his knee into the giant's gut. The flirtatious Android quickly fled before risking to brawl with the beast directly.

"Worthless," Android 4 shouted. With no more than a nod of her head, Android 6 dove into the fray. Dore would be no match for the three of them.

* * *

Salza flashed a murderous grin before wiping the blood away from the corner of his mouth with his glove. "Alright Neiz...let's show zhe lady a good night!"

"On it!" Both warriors began shouting as they threw a series of blasts onto Androids 2 and 3.

Above the battle, Cooler was content to watch, as Android 1 held the same detached gaze while he watched the same spectacle. The chrome leader knew the rule though. If he joined in, then there would be no reason for Cooler not to enter the fray as well. And if they rest of the Androids lost to the Armored Squadron, then that would seal Cooler's victory either way.

Android 2 moved swiftly and precisely to slap, backhand, kick, and deflect the two sided assault to protect her sister. No matter how fast the blasts came from either side, Android 2's speed was unreal. They were wasting energy against the goalie, and they needed to go for something she couldn't block. Salza ceased firing and pulled his arm back.

"Neiz! Let us close zhe curtains on zhis show!"

The Zaltian turned to his commander and saw the attack he was planning to use. Neiz crossed his arm over his chest and then pulled back on his hip. Both warriors of the Armored Squadron charged their power into their arms, covering their gloved hands with glowing golden power.

"Prepare," Salza cheered out.

"For the Armored Squadron's!"

"Light Show!"

Neiz and Salza blasted an identical attack from their hands. A beam of gold, searing with power, raced from their hands and towards the Android pair. 2 was facing Salza's direction, meaning Neiz would likely claim the kill. Lucky bastard.

They were both disappointed when Android 2 moved with such speed that she deflected both attacks within the same second. To either of them, it looked like she was in two places at once for only a moment.

"S-such speed!"

Neiz shouted as he moved in a downward dive at Android 2. Salza watched as his comrade moved in a blur to occupy Android 2 while leaving Android 3 open. The lieutenant quickly lashed out his signature attack and rushed forward. Before he could even get within swinging range, Android 2 cut him off in the blink of an eye with Neiz in hand. She threw the Zaltian by his arm at Salza, stopping his forward assault altogether. Unfortunately, this put both of them in the same place.

Android 2 wasted no time and rushed in and quickly moved between the pair, easily avoiding their strikes and attacks before she lashed out by striking Neiz in the gut, and kicking Salza across the face in one fluid motion. Neiz fell to the ground on his knees, clutching his stomach in pain while Salza skidded across the dirt.

"You should not underestimate Android 2," the arrogant chrome monster spoke. "She is just as powerful as your brother. Are your men capable of handling that?"

"I'm not sure," Cooler said. In truth, he knew that even with Dore helping that they wouldn't stand a chance against Frieza. They were good, but they were quite that good. But that was hardly the point. "Do you think _she_ can handle this?" 1 turned his head just as Cooler launched a powerful blast from his hand, aimed right for Android 3.

Android 2 turned around too late to stop the blast. She didn't bother to even try as she watched the attack explode in a brilliant flash. She watched with a bitter scowl as the smoke cleared, and all that was left in the remains was just a smoking crater.

"Android 3..." 2's detector claimed that Android 3 survived the attack, somehow. "Interesting..." The assassin quickly rejoined 1's side and cast a hard glare at Cooler. "Android 3 is still alive. She can handle the rabble and we can deal with this one..."

Android 1 chuckled and shook his head. "You have guts for invading the Red Territory. But if you're here to start a war, the Red Ribbon Army owns the war."

"I've had enough of your nonsense. I am not threatened by talentless machines."

Android 1 and 2 prepared and raised their fists to Cooler. The Arcosian King raised his hands up to either side, fingers pointed at both Androids intent to prove him wrong.

* * *

"Get those heavy guns up here now!" The Resistance pushed forward, marching over the rubble of another base and push forward against the drones. The new 'heavy troops' were on the front lines with their Boss, wearing space armor that covered them head to toe, and armed with a majority of the alien weapons. The tanks, heavy armaments, and their own Battle Jackets brought up the rear, and softened the forward enemy with mortar shots.

"We seem to be making good time," Videl said as they began their march towards another enemy base. Launch didn't like it one bit. She knew they were being walked in a straight line, she just couldn't figure out why. Their job was as easy compared to what Cooler would have to face with the Androids. Maybe he _was_ more powerful than Gohan could handle.

"Next base in five minutes people! Hustle!" Even Launch was getting worn out by the blistering pace Vi was setting. Videl just smiled at her Boss's tired groan.

"She's excited."

"She needs to be on guard."

A crashing thunder stopped the Resistance in their tracks. They looked forward and saw the aliens battling the Red Ribbons right along their path. Every soldier turned back to the Boss for an answer. "We need to cut around," Vi called out.

"There's not guarantee we'll be safe from that!"

"Well there aren't many other options!"

There was only one option. "We're meant to be his reinforcements. Remember the plan! Stick to the Armored Squadron, and let them handle the rest!"

"Movement, dead ahead!" Launch was dropped back to reality as her eyes looked forward. She saw another platoon of drones moving forward. And they were moving fast.

"Set up for defensive action," she cried out. "Start making your shots count! Long range weapons, soften them up for us!"

The tanks, Battle Jackets, and other heavily armored assault vehicles unleashed hell. Bullets, missiles, bombs, rockets were all fired at the line approaching in the horizon. Explosions went off behind the Red Ribbon's forces, throwing pieces of scrap and machinery into the air.

She called for a cease fire with her arm raised up. As the sounds of war stopped, all eyes stared at the line of fire and smoke ahead of them.

"Movement! One hostile!"

"I've got two!"

The numbers kept jumping. Four, five, nine, twelve. It ended with around thirty something hostiles, unique drone models or something else, closing in fast.

"Defensive line! Battle Jackets in the air! Armored Platoon move forward! We're going to slow these things down!"

The pilots of the Battle Jackets floated above the ranks, while the soldiers spread out behind the Resistance's newly formed Armored Platoon. The soldiers who wore the armor and equipment handed to them by their alien friends named their group after the 'inspiring' Armored Squadron. The Boss included, they had all been fighting on the front lines for most of the fight so far. They were the tip of the spear, and the brunt of the shield.

Launch stood with her fellow soldiers and braced her blaster arm with her opposing hand. The other men and women around her in the Armored Platoon took aim, but waited for the signal from the Boss. She didn't give a command, or an order. She waited until the drones were close enough before taking the first shot. Within half a second, every last soldier of the Armored Platoon opened fire. A line of searing laser blasts shot into the fray. Some of the robots dropped. Most didn't.

That was when they saw the horror of what they faced.

The butchered, cobbled together pieces of the Fury Force charged head first into the Resistance's fire. Leading them was the cyborg version of General Bon, with a murderous look in both of his cybernetic eyes.

"Spread yourselves out!" They were packed together in a perfect line. If even one of the cyborgs broke through, the number of casualties would go up. "Armored Platoon, tighten up and focus your fire!"

"Is that seriously the Fury Force," Videl shouted over her shots.

"They're charging us, they're going down!" Launch loved out Vi made everything so simple.

"You heard her! If it moves, it dies!"

"If it dies, you move on," Vi cheered. She and Videl joined Launch and began firing right at the rushing Cyborg Bon.

* * *

Android 9 watched the wars being fought on his frown lawn from the safety of his viewing monitors. It seemed that his fellow Androids would handle Cooler after all. And Cyborg Bon's new Fury Force had just broken through the Resistance lines, and pushed towards the back to where the heavy weapons were. The Resistance would use the heavy units to cover their retreat in case their attack went south, but 9 saw through their deployment. It was a basic tactic, and given their circumstances, 9 commended the Resistance Boss' call. But even the best plan wasn't always the smartest.

He was pleased, almost joyful, when Android 2 came back with the remains of several Fury Force members. She was the one who thought they would be useful if they were reprogrammed. And against the Resistance front line, they were beyond useful.

The tyrant was the one that truly impressed Commander Red the most. Cooler saw his approach in building upon his victories in absolute domination. Cooler's men capped out around Android 4's power level, which meant they were no match for the top three. But, if his soldiers had the aid of the full firepower of the Resistance, then they could make short work of the defects, and focus their combined might on finishing the rest. A flawless plan in theory, especially since he helped pave the way for the Resistance to have an easy fight.

But he knew that the key to Cooler's victory lied with the Resistance.

* * *

The Fury Force's power was frightening, but it wasn't unstoppable. They pushed through the Resistance's ranks, but it did not become an easy fight. The Armored Platoon survived the breakthrough, thanks to the durability of their armor, and closed the flanks of the Fury Force.

The cyborgs were fearsome, but they could be taken down. A pair of Battle Jackets could overwhelm one, as long as they got the first strike. A few hundred bullets could stop another, as more dropped through the denser ranks. They were half robot now, but even their enhancements couldn't deflect the lasers the Armored Platoon wielded.

"Focus fire," Launch shouted out as she finished blasting another cyborg to the ground. "We can take them down!"

"Launch..." The Boss turned about sharply and aimed her blaster right at the Fury Force leader. The new Cyborg Bon held a soldier's neck in his robotic arm while he glared at the Resistance leader. "It's been awhile..."

"Put. Him. Down." Bon's response was the sickening snap of bone under his metallic grip. Launch's glare grew sharper, as did her resolve to take Bon down. "You're going to pay for that."

The cyborg laughed as his robotic eye shifted. "You brought this on them Launch. When you and your people refused to bow to your new King!"

"Are you really doing this right now," Launch asked with an tiresome tone in her voice. "You're _programmed_ to work for the enemy, and you're going to lecture me on how I need to lead my people!?"

"We will live on into the days when the Red Ribbon Army has taken over this planet, and expands its reaches to the stars!" General Bon chuckled coldly as the burning smoke floated between them. "And you will die, lost and forgotten."

"At least I'll go out with some dignity!"

The cyborg chuckled again, "If only you had any control over that."

Bon rushed forward, kicking up earth under each boot he planted. Launch jumped out of the way and rolled across the ground. She swiftly took aim and blasted Bon in the shoulder. The bull gave a pained roar before rushing Launch again. He was too fast for her to dodge or shoot first, so she braced herself against Bon with her arms over her chest. The armored absorbed most of the blow, but Launch still felt a rib or two break under the impact.

She hit the ground on her hands and knees, and slipped onto her face before coming to a stop. Her ribs gave a painful twist as she moved her arm. Definitely broke something.

"You don't stand a chance. You never did. Not with the Super Saiyan, and not with this alien monster!"

"It's not about them! Fucking..." Launch lifted her body up as that ache in her ribs tore painfully upwards. "You care so fucking much about who wins, that you forgot what we were losing! You were wanting to fight a war while we wanted to survive!"

"Survival was only obtainable through victory! That is why joining the Red Ribbon Army was the only sensible choice from the beginning! As if killing the King wasn't enough for that bastard Android 9!"

Staring at Bon in that moment, all Launch could do was roll her eyes at the General's dramatic revelation. "Of course you killed the King..."

"But that wasn't enough. Android 9 demanded more, and more, until he commanded me to bring in the people under my rule, so he could complete his take over of the planet. Is extinction worth the pride of any one person?! To risk the lives of those who follow you on some sort of hero, or a savior to rescue them! That is madness!"

"I should give you a fucking mirror. So you sold your planet? Your soul to live?"

"The save the Earth. You would trade away everything to a conqueror from another galaxy rather than believe that this is the only way for us. I sacrificed myself and my men to save a few by staging an assault on the Red Territory. I knew they wouldn't just throw me away, not after relaying communications and outpost locations of the Resistance to them. Not to mention movement patterns of the Devil's Pair."

Launch gave a bitter scowl to that. "So just how much blood is on your hands then, _General?!_ "

The cyborg chuckled coldly and lowered himself down, ready to charge again. "Less than on the hands of those who wish to fight, rather than submit."

Bon was blasted in the back, which caused him to bellow out a howl of agony. He turned and swung his arm out at Videl, who ducked under the swing and rolled under Bon's guard and blasted him across the chest with three more shots.

"And who made you judge and jury of Earth's fate!?" Videl quickly jumped out of Bon's swing before he could even turn. Vi crossed in front of Bon and shot at him safely out of his reach.

"You'd sell us all out without giving a damn about what the people actually want! You don't care about the people of Earth, you don't even care about the men and women who died for you! You just wanted to play king!"

Bon shouted at Vi before his robotic arm tore out a gigantic rock out of the ground and hurled it at the purple haired maiden. She quickly dove out of the way.

"In short: go fuck yourself," Launch seethed as she raised her arm up. Without hesitation she squeezed on the trigger and launched a blast that nailed Bon between the eyes. The bull cyborg's head snapped back, and his leg started to give, but he caught himself. "Son of a..."

Bon slid down onto a knee and nearly foamed at the mouth while his eyes tore into Launch. The smoking black spot on his forehead still burned, causing Launch to give a delighted little chuckle. At least she would die laughing about something.

That was until four Battle Jackets descended behind the Boss, quickly followed by a small number of Armored Platoon soldiers, and a dozen more armed troops all aimed at Cyborg Bon. He suddenly didn't seem to favor his chances.

"Ma'am, we've taken down the rest of the cyborgs, and are ready to move forward."

Launch looked at the soldier next to her and gave a pained laugh. "Holy shit...good job."

Bon's fury had melted down into cautious contempt. There was only one option left.

"Android 9, this is General Bon..."

" _I hear you General...and I see you as well..."_

* * *

Android 9 glared viciously at the monitor. "I am not pleased with what I am seeing."

" _I willingly pledge my life to the cause. You may initiate your countermeasure..."_

His lip gave a twisted grin before taking a puff out of his pipe. "My idiot General. I prepared launch long before you radioed in." The look of betrayal and horror on Bon's face was priceless. "I saw how the battle was turning. Like always, you pushed too hard, Bon. If you can't even beat an army of humans, you're no better than drones. Just as expendable..."

The twisted Android cut the call with Bon and flipped the switch to fire his contingency plan. The fortress gave a rumble as the missile was shot overhead, locked onto the dedicated General's signal. At least he would serve a purpose in death.

* * *

Dore stumbled back and raised his forearms to brace against the sweeping double kick from Androids 5 and 7. The dual attack broke his guard, leaving the brute wide open for Android 6 to capitalize and hammer his gloved fists into Dore's already bruised body.

The Beppan only scowled before brought his skull crushing into Android 6's head. It broke the blonde's assault, and gave Dore enough of an opening to slam a savage double axe handle into the back of the Android's head. 6 went crashing into the dirt face first, and was buried there when Dore slammed his head boot on the back of the Android's head to keep him planted in the ground.

He slammed a vicious shoulder charge into Android 5's chest. The scanty Android's chest caved in as he was pushed back from the savage assault. Dore gave a twirl and lifted his hand up, cupping Android 5's jaw in his hand, hanging the Android in the air. The brute flashed a triumphant smile before he brought his other hand chopping down onto the other side of 5's face, spiking his head into the ground.

Dore crumbled under a sneak attack from Android 7, who slammed her foot into the brute's ribs. The titan did not fall however. He grabbed 7's leg before she could leave and threw the black haired Android down into the dirt.

Android 4 watched with absolute disgust as the others were unable to handle even this one foe. "What the hell is wrong with you lot?! This is embarrassing!"

Though they were unable to make Dore fall, he was beaten, bloodied, and bruised, but still fighting back harder and harder the more the Androids threw at him. If Android 4 wasn't genuinely worried about the worth of her lesser siblings, she would have actually considered jumping in and ending the fight. The only one of their siblings pulling their own weight was 3, who was fending off the other two aliens with controlled ease. Not even the 'oldest' of their siblings could say the same.

* * *

Cooler spun back between Androids 1 and 2's swift strikes. He ducked and turned out of the next ones as well. Android 2 rushed in when Cooler had his back to her. The tyrant's tail lashed out and struck the glasses off the assassin's face. Cooler pulled to the side as 1 threw a crossing strike at him, then ducked and twisted under to slam his elbow into the chrome creature's stomach. Before 1 could finish folding in on himself, Cooler reached up and laced his fingers over the back of the Android's head before throwing him over his shoulder. This sent 1 slamming down into Android 2, and had both of them closer to the ground.

"You know, I find it to be rather embarrassing that I have you to thank for killing the Super Saiyan. I would have hoped you Androids would prove to be more of a sport..."

"How is he so powerful," 2 questioned. "Not even Gohan can fend us off so easily."

"He is better trained," 1 answered. "His fighting style is refined and quick. Like Goku, it's very well trained in combat." Their heads turned to the faint sound of something roaring in the distance. Android 1 and 2 knew exactly what this was. "Heh...looks like Bon failed..." The duo both turned their heads back to Cooler, with 1 wearing a triumphant grin. Android 2 only frowned. To her, it didn't make a difference if Bon failed or not. "You better decide how important the Resistance is to your goals, tyrant. Their lives may depend on it."

Cooler shifted his eyes over to a rapidly approaching object off in the distance. It wasn't going to hit any of them, but it would pass very close by. The force it was carrying swept by Cooler, who whipped his head over to watch where the apparent missile was heading.

The soaring warhead brought all the fighting to a pause as everyone watched it speed right towards the smaller war of the Resistance. The other Androids and even the Armored Squadron watched with mixed expressions.

"Are they worth saving," Android 1 asked with a cruel chuckle.

Cooler kept his gaze heated, watching the scene very closely. Salza, Neiz, and Dore were all sitting in wait, wondering if they should stop the missile and save the Resistance. Did the Earthlings still serve a purpose to Lord Cooler's goals?

Launch just watched in horror as the speeding warhead raced towards them. They had seconds before it hit, and no chance in hell of shooting it down. The others just knew it, and seemed to accept the end with silence. She had a moment of clarity in her final moments. They were being led towards their doom the entire time.

A shot was fired out from behind the Resistance lines. Not a gun, or a cannon of any kind, but a blue streak of energy that struck the warhead and caused it to detonate from a safe distance away in the sky. The blast shook the ground, and threw a few Resistance soldiers off of their feet. When the explosion settled, and the dust sprinkled down, everyone started to look for the source of the attack.

The Resistance turned their heads. Approaching from the sky were their saviors, in more ways than one. Gohan and Trunks approached the Resistance with grim expressions painted on their face. They knew they had revealed themselves.

Salza and Neiz's scouters went off just before the missile exploded. "Wh-what the hell was that," Neiz shouted.

"Gohan," Android 3 whispered.

"What zhe hell is a Gohan?"

"SALZA!" The lieutenant looked at Neiz, who was stricken speechless by something. "Z-zoom in on that power level!"

Salza did so, tapping the button on his scouter to enhance the image of the Resistance's savior. "Zh-zhat...zhat cannot be!" Salza and Neiz both shuddered in horror as they saw a flying hero with black hair, and an orange outfit. "Zh-zhat is..."

"The last Super Saiyan," Cooler smirked. Android 1 and 2 both looked grim at the revelation. They didn't plan for this. Not so soon after Gohan was beaten by 17 and 18. Cooler turned back to his opponents with a triumphant smile and folded arms over his chest. "Did you think I cared about the humans? I was waiting to draw out the Super Saiyan."

"You...you knew about Gohan?"

"Not at first," Cooler admitted as he flashed his smile at Android 2. "But after going through your databases, I learned that Goku's one and only Super Saiyan son is alive. I was hoping to draw him out if the Resistance was in danger."

Android 1's eyes flickered with realization. "That's why..."

"I gave your army the best shot to destroy the Earthlings, and you failed. But the truth is, I never needed them to destroy you Androids. I just needed them, and you, to lure out my prey." Cooler unfolded his arms and unleashed a raging blue aura around his body. "And now that they've served their part, you will die for stealing my prize away from me, Android!"

The Arcosian lord dashed forward and slammed his fists into Android 1 and 2's faces as he met them in a blitzing upward rise. It knocked the pair up where Cooler could grab their ankles in a tight grip. With a powerful heave, the tyrant pulled and swung the duo downward towards the ground. They crashed into each other before they hit the ground, and sharply turned back to the grinning monarch.

* * *

Android 9 watched in horror as the warhead, and several of his contingency plans, went up in flames with the unlikely arrival of the Saiyan duo. The Commander glared daggers at Gohan as he joined the Resistance. The hero seemed to be luckier than an old cat with nine lives.

Gohan's arrival was planned for, but not as thoroughly. After the thrashing 9 watched the hero take from the Devil's Pair recently, he figured that the Super Saiyan would be down for awhile. This meant there were fewer backup plans to rely on that could take down Gohan. But the Red Android had two aces to deal with Gohan once and for all.

"Well, old friend, time for you to mobilize..." Commander Red began inputting the command to activate Android 10. The warning would be transmitted to the others, as was part of the sequence to activate the secret weapon.

* * *

Launch just gawked as Gohan landed before her. The rest of the Resistance was busy whooping and celebrating their delayed demise. The solemn look on the kid's face confirmed her fears.

"Shit..." Her mind started racing with her frantic heartbeat as she panicked herself to come up with a solution. "Maybe...maybe you can still get out of here!"

"He would have sensed me one way or another Launch."

She drew her hands through her hand with a long exhale. "Shit!"

Gohan wanted to console her, but they both knew this was one of the possibilities. Launch was just going to beat herself up for falling into such an clear ploy. His eyes, and senses, turned to the enemy in the distance. Though he couldn't feel the Androids, he sensed the power of Cooler firsthand. Stronger than Frieza, and even stronger than King Cold. The new monarch was going to be a definite challenge. There was a certain comfort going into a battle without being able to sense how great your opponent's power was. Gohan had grown use to it fighting the Androids for half of his life.

"The Resistance needs to pull back," Gohan said. "Things are going to get really bad, really quickly."

"Gohan, we're blown here. You can't fight against the Androids _and_ him at the same time! If either side comes out of this alive, we're still going to need you!"

"This is the best chance we have to deal a serious blow to the Androids. That's why you risked everything on this. Now this is my fight..."

She couldn't talk sense into him. Gohan knew that no matter the risks, he would have to deal with the tyrant Cooler sooner or later. If he had his way, he could take out them and the Red Ribbon Army without sacrificing any lives today. Then it was just the tireless war of attrition against Androids 17 and 18.

"This is _our_ fight! But we need to retreat right now! You included." Gohan looked back over his shoulder and met Launch's pleading gaze with a fiery stare. The Boss's heart gave a twist as Gohan shifted into the heroic image of his father. "I can't bury another one of you..."

Gohan gave an unnervingly cheerful smile back at Launch before he turned that familiar look forward. Cooler continued to evade and fend off Androids 1 and 2, drawing out their attacks while waiting for an opening. Smart, powerful, and ruthless. Definitely worse than Frieza.

"Trunks! I want you to escort the Resistance to safety."

The youthful teen gave a familiar, disapproving frown at the back of his mentor's head. "You can't just turn away all of your help Gohan. I'm not leaving you to fight on your own! You need me!"

"Which is why I want you to get back here as soon as you make sure they're safe." Trunks gave pause to that. Gohan turned back to stare at his ward, and friend. "You make sure they're okay, and get back here. If we're taking down the Red Ribbons today, I'm going to need you."

"R-right!" Trunks felt exhilarated at Gohan's gesture of trust. He was determined to finally do some damage.

Launch was disgusted with herself. She thought she was baiting the tyrant into taking out the Androids. The same way she thought she was ambushing one of the Red Android's supply shipments. Each time she was wrong, and she had to be saved. Her chest gave another painful rend as she realized the danger she put her people in with both idiotic choices.

"Gohan..."

"Don't worry so much! What's the worst they could throw at me now?"

A blink later and Gohan was gone. The brutal and sudden lashings of the wind shortly after was a bad sign.

"Gohan?!"

The hero stared with wide eyes at the mysterious Android that pushed him across the Red Territory for almost a mile before stopping the assault with a knee to the strange machine's abdomen. Gohan gave a sudden jerk and quickly gained some distance from the hostile Android. It was unlike the others. Its robotic nature was very apparent, despite the frame still resembling a man's body. The Android stood at a full height of around ten feet, with a hulking body to match, an infrared visor, and a speaker for a mouth.

"You new off the assembly line?"

" _New off of the emergency reserves, actually."_ The Android's voice was almost entirely artificial. Gohan saw past the superficial appearance and recognized the threat it carried. _"Android 10, at your service. I must say, it will be a real pleasure killing the son of Goku."_

"You might want to get in line for that. There's another party guest who wants a shot at me, and he was here first."

" _Oh ho, but this is much more personal for me..."_

"Don't act so self important," Gohan teased. "My father killed his family."

Android 10 gave a dry chuckle and tilted his robotic head to the side. _"Well, your father killed me once already. And after I kill you, I'll finish that pest that the others can't take care of. The rest of those chaotic little defects can fall in line behind a real leader."_ Of course, something else with a grudge against his father. This one apparently having a personal history. _"You shall behold the glory, the prestige of the Red Ribbon Army's second-in-command, Staff Officer Android Black!"_

The title gave Gohan a small tickle of remembrance. He didn't have time to consider it further, as Android 10 dashed forward again. The hero quickly powered up to Super Saiyan and braced his forearms to catch the oversized swing from the Staff Officer. Gohan strained against the pressure, and the painful sting his arms gave when stopping such raw speed.

"Heh...n-not too bad. My turn..." Gohan's golden aura flared to life, unleashing a burst of power that threw the towering 10 back.

* * *

The flare of power drew Cooler's attention after countering another attack from 1 and 2. He gave a delighted smile at the golden light off in the distance. He came to Earth to kill a Super Saiyan, and he would finally get to claim a Super Saiyan.

* * *

 **So...this was really not meant to be as long as it was. And as terrible and flawed as this chapter is, just remember the rough draft was worse. Not that any of you would know what the rough draft was like, but...trust me. Lotsa holes in the plot I filled in this chapter...after subsequently making said holes. There are a few plot points that I'll address in future chapters. None jump out at me at the moment, due to my brain being on the fritz with editing and writing and working but I am gonna work on those little details too.**

 **Kudos to anyone who guessed Androids 1-7 being based on the Seven Deadly Sins! Brief-ish going over: 7 is sort of like...an extremely psychotic gold-digger, anything unique or of value she has to have. 6 is...well, I said it in the last chapter: he could give Vegeta lessons in humility. 5 is...well...cowardly but likes tempt his foes. Not that it ever works. 4 strives to be the center of attention, revels in others envying her, but has an angrily triggered inferiority complex. 3 doesn't like to do ANYTHING in excess, which actually works well with her analytical and tactile way of doing things. 2 is angry. 1 consumes energy, can never get enough, feels incomplete, desires to fulfill his 'wholeness' and shizz.**

 **And why yes, that does suspiciously sound like Cell. (No, he's not Cell). Androids 9 and 10 aren't based on any of the sins (there ARE only seven of them, and Red and Black at least have their own canon personalities that I didn't have to draw up myself).**

 **Probably going to have this opening arc closed in...probably two chapters. One would be ideal, but two is more realistic, even if half of it would be filler. The plus side is, the other half would be nothing but fighting.**

 **Anyway, done rambling. Reviews feed my addiction to write. Be nice, or constructive, or both! Negativity/bashing/hatefulness gets you...? Nothing.**


	5. Chapter 5: Red War

"Take zhis!" Android 3 quickly pulled herself away from Salza's blast, and right up to Neiz. She turned her head just as the Zaltian closed his limbs around her body. Despite her strength, 3 couldn't break Neiz's hold of her.

The Zaltian gave a sinister chuckle before his head suddenly collapsed into his chest. Rather than allow herself to be alarmed by this, her mind worked to point out the logical reason why. 3 snapped her head back forward as Salza rushed her with his arm pulled back. With an accurate shot, she blasted Salza in the shoulder with her laser eyes. The lieutenant gave a howled cry and flew backwards. When Neiz lifted his head back out to survey the situation, 3 shot her head back and cracked the alien in the beak. Neiz shrieked and released the Android from his grasp before she quickly moved further away from the alien pair.

She finally had a moment to process the Code Black she received from Android 9. He activated Android 10. Likely in response to Gohan's arrival. The logical step would be to assist in taking out Gohan, but Android 3 would likely get in the way of the commanding officer.

She turned back to her supposed reinforcements and saw Androids 5, 6, and 7 still trying to take down Dore. "And they call me lazy." She had already told them that if they tried to they could finish the small fry. Their resilience was unexpected.

* * *

Dore pushed his toes back to dig his feet to a stop before he took a knee. The bruised giant panted heavily as his dark green blood dripped from his nose that ran down from his dented and cracked helmet.

"This is utterly ridiculous! _Three_ of you can't bring him down?!" Android 4 was ready to scream before she quickly dropped and caught herself just a few inches from the ground. "Move aside! I'm ending this!"

"The hell you are," 6 screamed. "I will kill this freak!"

"The choice isn't yours! Android 10 is here, and I do _not_ want him here to clean up this mess! He'll destroy you three for your weakness, and me for letting you take so long!"

Android 6 didn't give a damn about the Code Black signal like the others did. Android 7 cowered, and 5 made a remark about Android Black's perfect body. Even 10 was an inferior to Android 6. He would prove it by starting his massacre to the top with the green skinned brute.

"All will kneel before Android 6 the Almighty!" As the arrogant little soldier charged forward, Dore grinned before his bright green aura exploded around him. The result bore a shockwave that shook the ground. Android 6 in all his pride did not stop as the green comet rushed to meet him.

Dore slammed his super powered fist into Android 6's face, feeling the structure of his face caving before the crushing blow. 6's body twisted and hit the ground in an ugly position before his limbs flailed out.

"Error—ERROR—impossible! Structural damage severe—er-error." Android 6 lifted his head back to Dore, revealing the twisted circuitry and dented metal that damaged half of his face. "I am th-th-the strongest!"

Android 4 cackled with amusement while 5 and 7 looked worried at one another. 4 always did enjoy watching the pride beatings 6 would endure. His programming had to be reset every time his god complex was fully shattered. It wasn't long before Red got tired of resetting the idiot and threatened the non-defects. But even from a stranger, the malfunctions were a splendor to enjoy.

Dore flashed a cocky grin as 6's body trembled the more he rose up. The Android's knees buckled and his arms trembled, but he managed a one-eyed glare on the glowing green monster.

"Come on then beautiful! Why don't you bring that pretty face over here..."

The mangled Android screamed in unparalleled anger as he charged Dore. "KILL KILL KILL KILL!"

Dore snickered with amusement at the broken Android's staggered run. "Actually, can-head..." Dore rushed forward in a blazing fury with his fist pulled back. Both warriors were yelling before they clashed in a flash of light. Dore was on his feet when the flash was over, his aura still raging like an unstoppable fire. "I was talking to the lady..."

Android 6's face was painted in shock as the two halves of his body fell apart from each other. Dore's arm had ripped 6 from his shoulder to his hip in a diagonal, smoking line.

Android 4's amusement only grew, while both 5 and 7 were horrified. The fashionable Android walked forward and chuckled at the flared up brute. "Interesting. You think I'll be as easy to take down as 6 was?"

"So far you Androids are all bark and no bite!" 4 huffed and quickly rushed Dore, landing a spin kick across the brute's face. Dore stumbled, but he didn't fall down. He retaliated instead by slamming his head down onto Android 4's. The woman crashed into the ground, but was up on her feet just as fast with a bitter scowl. She and Dore shot themselves into the air and started clashing with each other viciously.

* * *

Android 3's scanners detected a rising power level, drawing her pale blue eyes back to Dore. She registered the boost in strength as a higher registered power than previously set by the Squadron's muscle. "Impressive. He was hiding his true power?"

"Not exactly," Neiz said with a dark chuckle. The Planet Beppa was volcanic, with a naturally hostile environment. The natives were use to the punishing planet, and grew stronger than most because of it. Dore had a rare talent among his people.

The Heat Burst Technique allowed a Beppan warrior to build up reserves of energy quickly the more heated their body became in battle. The energy boost was temporary of course, as holding onto the stored up energy for too long put a strain on the user's body, as did taking in more energy than the body could process and harness naturally. Once it was released though, the boost of energy was on a timer, like a dying flame. It was risky to bet Dore's life by letting him take on the weakest of the Androids, but Salza and Neiz knew that in a one-on-one against Android 3, none of them would stand a chance.

Android 3 calmly checked the status of each battle. Dore was presenting a challenge for Android 4, but she managed to hold her own despite the boosted power. Even with the loss of Android 6, with 5 and 7 to back her up, her chances of victory were absolute. Despite the tenacity of the pair she faced, Android 3 saw that her opponents were running out of tactics judging by the pauses between their attacks. Once they were all finished, they could aid 1 and 2 in finishing Cooler off for good before Android 10 was done with Gohan. Even with the Super Saiyan's might, chances of winning against Android 10 were slated at a calculated twelve percent. Unlike the rest of the preteens, Android 10 had no real personality defect.

* * *

The time was here. Whatever was attacking the Super Saiyan had the attention of the Androids in front of Cooler. Was it the Devil's Pair? Something else?

"He sent Android 10 out," 2 questioned furiously. "Gohan is not that much of a threat!"

"You're not really in any position to be declaring what's a threat and what isn't," Cooler taunted with nothing more than a sideways glance at the mediocre pair. The power of a Super Saiyan. It was almost benevolent how Cooler could feel the power so purely from so far away. There was a battle worthy of glory. "I suppose I should finish this up so that I may kill this Super Saiyan myself."

"Do not dismiss us!" Android 2's wrath boiled over as she charged the tyrant with his back turned. Cooler's reflexes snapped him around before he unleashed a massive blasted that consumed Android 2. The blast tore away at her clothes and synthetic skin, revealing some of the bare bone mechanics that made up the Android's body.

She pulled herself above the blast, much to Cooler's astonishment. He barely had time to register this before Android 2 slammed her fist into the side of the tyrant's face. Cooler turned his head and stared daggers at the assassin. The right half of the Android's face that was torn away revealed a face that sent Cooler's mind reeling with horror.

Frieza.

Android 2 swung her other fist at the tyrant, but he backhanded the strike out of the way. His anger reflected in his scowl before the Android quickly fled backwards. Cooler stowed the lecture on cowardice as he got a good look at 2.

He only saw Frieza's cyborg form once, but it was truly an unforgettable experience. Cooler didn't say a word to Frieza then. No declaration needed to be made when over half of his body was made up of artificial tech.

Cooler memorized every piece of Frieza's body and makeup that day. And he saw those very same pieces exposed past Android 2's melted skin and scorched clothes. Most notably the scarlet right eye that Android 2 used to glare at him. Cooler could never forget the hateful stare of his younger brother. Even in death, Frieza's existence continued to be a thorn in his side.

"What...are you..."

"I am an assassin Android created by Doctor Gero," 2 stated past her melted lips. "I was enhanced by the technology that was salvaged from your brother's corpse."

Cooler's fury rose sharply at this disgrace. "You dare to use the remains of _my_ family to your benefit!? When I'm done with you, there won't be enough left to salvage!"

Android 2 realized that she alone didn't stand a chance, and neither did Android 1. Not separately, but together they could. She turned her eyes to 1. "It's time," she said to him.

* * *

Gohan moved quickly as he avoided Android 10's strikes as often as he could. Despite the Android's massive body, he was still quick and relentless in his assault. The Android's strikes hit with powerful impacts that were bruising Gohan's arms and legs just to defend.

" _Look at you! Unable to land a strike against me! Unable to keep up! How did those other Androids have any trouble against you?!"_

Gohan smirked and vanished from Android 10's visors. He rematerialized behind the mechanized giant and slammed both boots in the back of his head. The Android cried out and slammed into the ground. The Super Saiyan gave a soft sigh of relief before he rolled his shoulders.

"Either you've got a bigger ego than 6, or you've got the same weakness as the rest of them."

" _WHAT?! I am superior to all previous Androids in all respects! To compare me to them, to suggest that_ I _have weakness!"_

The smirking hero started to chuckle. "That's what you'd like to think. But I think you're overestimating yourself." Gohan lowered himself into a combative stance and beckoned 10 forward with his a gesture.

* * *

Things were progressing very slowly. The longer Commander Red watched, the more it became apparent that they weren't winning. The only one holding an advantage over their opponents was Android 3, who refused to go in for the kill for some reason. Android 10 should have been able to knock Gohan flat on his face, not to mention the lack of effort from Androids 1 and 2.

They were getting weaker. His army at their peak were a match for the full might of the Z Fighters. It was impossible that they could be so easily bested. There was only one plan left. But if activated, then it sealed the fate of his army. But what was there left to lose of his own forces were beaten? Maybe he could still come out on top if they all killed each other.

But Android 9 was cautious. His forces had a chance to pull a victory forward. He wouldn't play his hand before then.

* * *

Android 1 stared down at 2 in silence. He turned his red eyes back to Cooler and sneered. "Very well."

2 flashed a pained smile before snapping back to sinister in an instant. She floated upward and stared at Cooler. 1 turned into his liquefied state and swallowed Android 2 in his chrome mass. The gunk molded and squirmed its way back back into Android 1's basic, muscular form. His body looked much less stable, his muscle shape had become more lean, and his right eye was now Frieza's eye still staring back at him with the gleaming red lens for his left eye.

"We have made the first step into our perfection," it spoke, using the voices of both Androids. "We are the Android, Meta Prime."

Cooler smirked, restraining himself from full on laughter. It hardly looked any more menacing than before. "You really believe putting two worthless pieces of machinery together is going to have a better effect on me?"

Meta Prime turned his shoulders squarely to face Cooler and vanished into thin air. The ruling monarch only had a moment to react before the chrome Android brought his fist crashing over his head. Meta Prime brought his knee up sharply and speared it into Cooler's gut. He folded over and Prime sent the tyrant spearing towards the ground with a piercing elbow to the back of the head.

Cooler stopped himself mid flight and spun around as the liquefied Android hovered before him. "Well...that's new."

"We are the ultimate Android evolution. We are perfection."

Cooler charged his power and flared his aura when he and the Prime Android vanished. As they reappeared, Cooler slammed his fist across Meta Prime's face. The chrome Android careened across the sky with a blank face before he suddenly disappeared. Meta Prime retaliated with a punishing fist to Cooler's skull. The tyrant went spearing towards the ground. Just before the impact, Cooler pulled himself up and bounced off of the ground before he turned to face the new and improved Android.

Prime did not move from his floating position. That made it easy for Cooler to line up his sight and blast the Android with searing rays from his eyes. Meta Prime waited until the last possible second to dodge, vanishing right before Cooler's very gaze.

The tyrant's movements were halted all at once when a savage elbow to the spine sent him flying. Cooler stopped himself and paused to catch his breath before turning to his opponent again.

"Do you see your folly now? You cannot hope to stop us."

Cooler took a few more labored breathes before he straightened his back, and squared his shoulders. He started chuckling with amusement. Meta Prime said nothing. He floated in silence without showing any sort of reaction, giving no attempt to understand the tyrant's mocking laughter. "Even after this, you're still no threat..."

Meta's eyes narrowed at the implication. "Impossible. Even you must acknowledge this power. We are unstoppable."

Cooler's eyes told a different story. Android 1 and 2's gambit had utterly blown up in their face, and they were clueless. Such simple creations the Androids proved to be. Maybe Android 2 had inherited more of Frieza's arrogance than she realized.

"A simple little boost in power and you suddenly believe you're all powerful. You are _just_ like Frieza." The tyrant chuckled and flexed his arms to his sides, "Which means I should enjoy this even more..."

Meta Prime was not deterred by Cooler's bluffs. The Android just narrowed his red eyes and rushed to meet Cooler in a head-on collision.

* * *

Android 3 had been motionless for quite some time. Neither Salza, nor Neiz were going to attack her without some sort of strategy. They both learned the hard way that no plan of attack was a very quick and easy way to almost get beaten when facing a super computer for an opponent.

The Android tactician was still processing the fused entity that was once Android 1 and Android 2. The so called 'Meta Prime' was...readable. Android 3 could actually scan Meta Prime. The only thing in creation that never gave any sort of reading was Android 1. His bio-mechanical structure made it almost impossible to get anything beyond wild fluctuations and thousands of varying functions. It made 3's head hurt when she scanned 1.

She did not like what she was reading from Meta Prime though. Or from Android 10.

" _Android 3! What in the hell is with these readings!?"_

"The rates are decreasing rapidly." Her eyes stared past Salza and Neiz, analyzing them as her superior mind worked away.

" _I can see that! WHY?!"_

"I presume because you have two working eyes?" Her scans finished. Even if she were to beat Salza and Neiz now and take down Dore, even with their full might now, winning between either super powered force, their chance of victory was only about twelve percent.

" _DON'T YOU GET SMART WITH ME! Why is our victory only at twelve percent?!"_

Without her, chances were absolute zero for victory. "Because, Meta Prime is destroying itself. The boost in strength that 1 gained from swallowing 2 is depleting fast. When that happens, there will be no difference in the power 1 had prior to absorbing Android 2. Cooler's previous victory over Android 1 dictates that his victory this time around will be absolute."

Salza and Neiz stared at each other in shock, and confusion. The lieutenant gave a clueless shrug as to why she was speaking, or who Android 3 was even talking to.

* * *

Android 9 grated his teeth over the lip of his pipe as the readings from Android 3 was all he saw. "After I released Android 10...even with _all_ of you!? You must be malfunctioning Android 3! Finish off the small fry, regroup, and send 4-7 to help Staff Officer Black, and you help Meta Prime until all of you regroup! Nothing can stand up against all eight of you!"

" _These circumstances can. The chances of victory are unlikely. Retreat is the only option."_

"You will NOT leave! You will fight, Android 3! That is an order!"

" _Imperative override. Primary programming is to preserve and maintain the Red Ribbon Army. Should this unit die, chances of the Red Ribbon's continuation is absolute zero. I must retreat."_

"D-did you just—!?"

" _Goodbye Commander Red."_

* * *

Android 3 cut off communications with base once she decoded and rewrote her own primary programming. She was freed from Android 9 at last. Sheer luck had played in favor of her numbers, and she was freed thanks to a loophole in her programming, and Android 9's tactical choices. She knew there was no time to dwell on how or why, as she was doubtful that her opponents would stay idle much longer.

3 stared out at the battlefields around her. The only one she wished she could really save would be Android 4. But she would never see reason. Despite their teamwork, 4 hated 3 for her superior design, a fact which 4's envy driven personality feed into.

"I will not be a threat to you any longer," Android 3 finally spoke. She turned to the rather surprised looking Salza and Neiz and lowered her guard completely. "I did not have an active part in Son Goku's death. That would be Androids 1, 17, and 18. As it stands now, none of us here stand a chance against your master, or Gohan for that matter."

"S-so...you are just giving up," Salza questioned. No fight, no honor, no glory. The fact that the Android had no qualms about sacrificing her cause at the drop of a hat was disarming.

"There is no point in fighting a losing battle. This was decided long before you and your master arrived." In truth, it had been effecting everyone apparently. Even the dormant Android 10, secret weapon of the Red Ribbon Army.

The organics grew stronger while the Androids became weaker over time. The only exception was Android 1, who she could never get a total reading on. But she did make observations, but nothing solid enough to have any factual evidence backing her beliefs. Until Meta Prime that was. The certainty and potential the Red Ribbon Androids was clear. There would always be a limit for them. A limit they could not exceed, and a limit that dropped lower and lower as their seemingly infinite batteries lost their charge.

That was why they were abandoned by Gero.

Android 3 gave a light smile at the clarity her realization brought. Commander Red was a brilliant military mind, able to conquer half of the known world with a vast army in the midst of chaos twice over. Only through blind variables like a noble young child that fate threw at the Commander, like an innocent little child, or an all powerful space emperor bent on revenge, was he ever defeated. But even with all that brilliance, he was no Doctor Gero. He could not upgrade the Androids, he could not repair the minor damages that came with each battle, he could not give the Androids the upkeep they needed. The Z Fighters would have decimated them just as easily as a chance alliance with Cooler and Gohan.

Now there was proof. The fusion of Android 1 and 2 would theoretically be stronger than even the combined might of their rebellious siblings. Doctor Gero's notes spoke of the 'ultimate Android,' who would gain perfection by absorbing the weaker models that came before it. They always assumed that Android 1 was meant to be that perfect being, due to his nature as a bio-android, and his ability to absorb energy. But the Meta Prime was a failure. Android 3 realized that they were all failures.

Perhaps Gero intended to finish them some day. Perhaps the fully prepared Red Ribbon Army was meant to be lead by Gero, and all Androids, from Android 1 to Android 18, all fully loyal and perfected by the brilliant doctor's mind.

But speculation on the battlefield did not matter. Android 3 cast her foes a smile before casting off the pointed hat brandishing the Red Ribbon symbol on her person. She tossed the hat to the side as her short, red locks of hair fluttered in the wind.

"I do not wish to threaten anyone to be honest," 3 admitted. "I will not stand in your way, as we are no longer enemies. I no longer serve the Red Ribbon Army. Please, pass the word along to your master."

Before they could react, Android 3 vanished from their sight. Salza and Neiz floated in place, dumbstruck and baffled by what they had just witnessed. Desertion was something completely unknown to either soldier. Even before their time serving Cooler and his family's armada, the Brench and Zaltian military did not take kindly to such a crime. With the Brench, they had the galactic war with the Elegrant Empire. Desertion was treated with death, just like the PTO's typical standards. The Zaltian forces never allowed any other choice. If you could fight, you fought in defense of the Zaltian people. Man, woman, child, it didn't matter. Not even in the face of the eldest son of King Cold, until he offered surrender to the planet.

To watch such a capable warrior, let alone the winner of the prolonged battle, give up and leave was odd to say the very least.

They didn't have time to dwell on it, as they both remembered Dore was still fighting against superior numbers.

* * *

The glowing green giant and the vanity driven Android crashed into one another. Their knees clashed with a thunderous sound before Dore both a crushing double axe handle down on 4's head. He barely had time take a breath before he was flanked on either side by 5 and 7. He raised his arms, but the strain on his body was tearing painfully at his muscles, causing Dore to move more sluggishly. The two Androids slipped past his guard and started pummeling him from both sides in a barrage of kicks and punches.

Dore folded and rocked back and forth under the assault as his aura started to flicker on and off with each hit. The assault ended when Salza and Neiz knocked the Androids out of orbit with synchronized, rising dropkicks. Once he was given time to breathe, Dore's aura finally burned out and the brute fell out of the sky and towards the ground. Neither comrade did anything more than watch their battered friend as he crashed on to the ground.

"Man, he took a beating," Neiz said with an impressed smile on his scaled lips.

"Indeed. And zhe only way we will ever measure up to zhe effort he put into zhis..."

"Is by killing the rest of these Androids!" Salza smirked as Neiz caught on quickly. Across from the pair were the trio of Androids remaining. Despite Dore being in terrible shape, he managed to rough up his foes fairly well. "Let's take them down!"

Android 4 scowled bitterly and spat to the side. She was so angry with her disheveled hair, and her tattered-up, lime green designer clothes that she almost forgot who was supposed to be watching the other two aliens. "You two beat Android 3...impossible!"

"Why don't you come here and test our mettle zhen, Android! En garde!"

* * *

Commander Red witnessed the truth with his own eyes. After Android 3 somehow took herself off of the Red Ribbon line, the truth was set out before him. Nothing was working. With his weakest batch of Androids facing unscathed opponents, Android 4, 5, and 7 didn't stand a chance in hell. And with backup on his side, Cooler might just have a chance to defeat the newly formed Meta Prime.

The only chance they had was in Staff Officer Black, and his chances of overcoming Goku's son. Otherwise, there was only one option left.

* * *

They continued to dance around the battlefield, jumping into and away from each other only long enough to exchange blows before retreating and trying a new approach. Gohan had to admit that Android 10 was a lot more capable than any single Android he had encountered. He might have even been a match for 17 or 18 if they were ever separated.

If nothing else, Android 10 could really take a hit. Unlike the other Androids that resembled a human, 10 looked the part. One look was enough to see a towering, hulking, black robot coming for you.

Gohan and Android 10 met in the center of one of their clashes and both traded spearing fist. Gohan pulled his head to the side just in time so that he moved under 10's arm and inside his defenses. The Super Saiyan's gold wrapped fist dented the head case of the advanced super weapon, causing him to cry out in pain. Gohan's aura slowly flickered out before he pulled his head around, locked his arms around 10's extended arm and pulled his knees to his chest. Android 10 looked down as Gohan's aura reignited and burned around his body, just before the young hero drove both boots up to slam against Android 10's featureless face.

The blow threw Android 10 off of his heavily planted feet, and sent Gohan into a flip as he arched himself away. Gohan pulled his feet around and landed on the ground in a crouched position, before swiftly vanishing under Android 10's countering fist that shattered the ground.

Gohan was winded, but he could still keep going. Android 10's weakness was more apparent than the others if he was already slowing down.

" _Impressive display so far! I can see how the lesser Androids have been unable to kill you!"_

"Not that the Devil's Pair haven't tried..."

The newly rebuilt Staff Officer chuckled and lowered itself down, ready for another assault. Gohan could feel the excitement coursing through his veins. He almost hated to admit it, but ever since coming of age, the half-Saiyan had yet to have a real one-on-one battle with anyone or anything.

" _Androids 17 and 18...the stepping stones to Doctor Gero's ultimate succession."_ 10 gave a cruel laugh at Gohan's confused stare. _"Allow me to explain for you, simpleton! While I was in stasis, Commander Red believed I was completely shut down. However, while my body slumbered, my mind was active, searching through the data of the Red Ribbon's forces, including the good Doctor's research notes, hidden from the other Androids. Every last one of them, were complete failures! That was why Gero never continued his work on them! Commander Red had to drag them out of the junk pile and put them together as best as he could. His true goal though...had always been the perfect warrior! The rest of the Androids believed that was Android 1, but that failure was merely a prototype!"_ Gohan frowned sharply at 10's declarations. If there _was_ something worse than the Devil's Pair on the planet, Gohan would have been made aware of it, one way or another. _"Don't look so glum dear boy! Even Son Goku would never have stood a chance against this project!"_

Gohan's senses perked up at the familiar energy source approaching. He did not want to run the risk of Android 10 having scanners similar to Android 3, and quickly charged the secret weapon in hopes of keeping it preoccupied.

10 was quick to defend himself, clashing equally with the Super Saiyan as they ground itself trembled under the exchange of powerful blows. _"Android 9, as always, is too vain and idiotic to see TRUE potential! The only true path of conquest is to follow Doctor Gero's brilliance!"_ Gohan went crashing into the ground as Android 10 slammed its robotic fist into the hero's face. The Super Saiyan quickly pushed himself up and threw his legs backwards. His boots collided into 10's cranium, throwing the Android off his feet. 10 growled with fury before his forearm shifted into an energy cannon.

"Oh no!" Gohan had no time to push himself out of the way, so instead he propelled himself into the air with a brief, powerful blast of energy from his hands. The small explosion threw the Saiyan warrior into a back flip as Android 10's cannon blasted the ground where the golden haired fighter was. While in the air, Gohan pulled his leg around and kicked Android 10's head hard enough to send the heavyweight Android bouncing across the ground. Gohan quickly swung his body around and brought his hands down by his hips as a blue orb of energy began to gather between his hands. "Ka...me...ha...me..."

Android 10 quickly slammed his fist through the ground and dragged himself to a stop. _"Your father's tricks won't work on me, Saiyan scum!"_

"Hey Android!" 10 quickly turned his head to the sight of a purple haired youth with his palms held out and aimed at him. "Dodge this! Buster Cannon!" A blinding blast of blue power exploded from Trunks' hands and raced straight for Android 10.

" _Don't mind if I do then!"_ The Android quickly rocketed into the air as Trunks' attack detonated with enough force to leave a small crater when the smoke settled. Even 10 was impressed. _"Such destructive power..."_

"HA!" 10 spun his upper torso around quickly and threw his arms out to catch the overwhelming Kamehameha Wave that Gohan launched. Gohan pressed the beam of power, but it wasn't moving under Android 10's hands. "Come...on!"

The Staff Officer laughed in triumph as he held the energy blast in place with some effort. _"You can't win! My rage, my anger against your father has made me the ultimate Android! Designed to kill Son Goku! And you are NO GOKU!"_

A curved ball of golden power circled around the attack and nailed Android 10 in the backside. The blast caused the robot's body to wave, and for his synthesized voice to howl out in agony. 10's infrared vision snapped over to Trunks, the source of the ambush.

"Get him now Gohan!"

Gohan knew he couldn't hold back here. He pulled out every last ounce of his energy, and poured it out into his attack. The Kamehameha beam doubled in size and ferocity, unleashing a deafening boom as the released energy slammed into Android 10's body. The ground caved under Gohan's feet as the extra energy tore along the bright blue beam and started to eat away at his mechanical hands and arms.

" _N-no! H-how can this...I-I am...Android 10! I AM ANDROID—,"_

Gohan's blast punched through and swallowed Android 10 completely, vaporizing the mechanical construct away in a blinding explosion that lit up the sky.

The blast drew the attention of those nearby. Even the Resistance, who stationed themselves on the outskirts of the Iron Line heard and felt the resulting explosion.

Salza and Neiz gawked at the sheer force of the blast, while their Android enemies were practically trembling with fear.

* * *

Cooler and Meta Prime floated across from each other, but their eyes were turned towards the blast. The fused Android looked rather surprised at the result of Android 10's battle with Gohan. Cooler was simply frowning with displeasure, as he felt the Super Saiyan's energy dropping fast after the explosion.

"He wasted all of his energy..."

"Android 10 was...defeated by Gohan? Impossible..."

Cooler folded his arms and turned back to the Prime. "You sound surprised. Don't tell me you machines are blissfully unaware that you're getting weaker?"

The chrome construct turned and faced his foe with fury filled eyes. "You know nothing about us, monster."

"I know that you were doing better at the start of this fight than you are now," Cooler stated. "I know that compared to now, you had a better chance as separate entities of taking me down. Your critical flaw, machine, is that you are unable to increase your own power. Unlike organics, you have a set limit. What's the old saying? Once at the top, there's only one way down..."

Cooler's statement struck a cord of anger with the Meta Android. The chrome fusion shouted out as it rushed the tyrant. To Cooler, his foe may as well have walked up to him. The monarch vanished before Meta Prime could land a punch, leaving the large Android floating in confusion.

"You hit softer." Meta Prime turned and launched a blast of violet energy at the sound of Cooler's voice. The tyrant vanished long before the attack reached him. The fused Android had seconds to look, before Cooler grabbed his arms, pulled back, and drove his knee forward into the center of the chrome monster's back. Meta cried out as he was thrown forward, before he turned to glare at the tyrant. "You're movements are slower. You're stronger than either of the Androids separately, true. But this was hardly a substantial trade off. Though I suppose obliterating Frieza's mechanical remains will be an excellent victory to claim."

"NO! I am perfection! I was meant to be the ultimate creation!" Meta Prime charged at Cooler again and blindsided the distracted tyrant with a punishing fist across his face. "You are nothing!" The Android threw another cross on the other side of Cooler's face. "You are organic!" Another blow to the Arcosian's abdomen. "You are flawed! I am PERFECTION!"

Cooler caught the next attack before it connected. Meta Prime gasped before he looked up at Cooler's smirking, bloodied lips. "Oh you are exactly like my brother." Cooler countered with a blinding kick to Meta Prime's stomach that caused the chrome creation to double over in pain. "So full of yourself!" He spun around and slapped the Prime across its face with his tail. "So arrogant! Unable to see the truth!" Meta Prime floated away slowly, a bitter scowl on his face as he glared at Cooler with Frieza's eye. "Just because you boast and brag about your entitlement doesn't make you the strongest in the universe. You killed a Super Saiyan after he was weakened. You're unable to win a fair fight without relying on your strength in numbers. At least Frieza made an effort without his backup dancers. You on the other hand..."

Cooler held his hand high above his head and began channeling his power, "You are worth less than even he was. You're a piece of dust in the cosmos. You will die here, forgotten, and there will be nothing left to remember you." A red and black orb of crackling power sparked to life above Cooler's palm. Meta Prime's eyes fixed on the orb as its red glow blotted out the light around them. "You were utterly worthless."

Meta Prime scowled in defiance before letting out a primal, furious cry as he shot forward. Cooler chucked his Death Ball forward only a second after he noticed something strange. The liquefied chrome substance seemed to lurch forward, leaving something behind. Cooler heard a gnarled howl just before his attack went up in an explosion that caused the ground to tremble, with a booming sound that echoed for miles.

As the outward winds whipped and lashed out, Cooler watched every second with unflinching eyes. Something went very wrong. When the smoke cleared, Cooler saw a mangled, mechanical body floating across from him. The size and structure of the body matched Android 2, minus the skin and clothes. Stripped down to the bare bones, Cooler could see the pieces of machinery that made up his brother's former body as clear as day. There were more primitive pieces for the rest of the body, and the arm. Goku left much of Frieza's body in tact it seemed.

Cooler just shook his head as the Android seemed to process its own rebirth. She only had one eye, Frieza's eye, and it turned slowly to stare at the face of her destroyer. Cooler almost pitied the lost looking soul. Not enough to keep from laughing at her.

"Are you at all better off now, Android? You'll be destroyed either way!"

"You've taken your vengeance against Android 1," she said. "There is no reason for our conflict."

He smiled and shook his head at the pitiful plea. Despite all the loyalty and bravado, she feared for her own life enough to throw Android 1 to oblivion. "You assisted in Son Goku's death did you not? Your...mangled form is cobbled together with pieces of _my_ family."

"You clearly hold no love for the family you lost. My existence should not—," Cooler silenced the Android with a Death Beam through the chest. 2 took a second to register the attack as her cloaking started to wrap around her body. Cooler fired another ray that tore through Android 2's leg, and then another through her shoulder. Her cloaking stopped working, but Cooler continued firing a barrage of Death Beams until the assassin was filled with smoking holes. Android 2 was very much alive, but her body was crippled under the assault of piercing attacks. "I...am not...your brother..."

"No," Cooler admitted as he gazed into his brother's hate filled eye. "Frieza would yell and throw a little temper tantrum at this. You, however, are still my enemy in this embarrassing little skirmish. And I do not leave survivors in my wake."

There was no other choice in the wake of the tyrant's absolution. The broken, mangled Android had never been faced with its own mortality. Android 2 had always been a messenger of death. Her mind was still grasping to desperately find a way out of her destruction. The truth was undeniable though. She could not escape.

Android 2 scowled viciously as her mechanical facial features shifted. She screamed into the face of the tyrant before lunging forward in a blind fury. With all her hatred, she stabbed at the heartless monarch.

Cooler's reaction was instant. With a chop, he cleaved Android 2's extended arm off from her body. Her face was still painted with the expression of rage, before Cooler obliterated her completely with a wave of scorching blue energy. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the Android.

Destroying the mechanical remains of his brother was not nearly as satisfying as he wished, but there was a certain feeling of success the older tyrant felt.

With his vengeance against the Red Ribbon sated for the time being, Cooler turned his senses to his prize. The Super Saiyan, Son Gohan, was near.

* * *

The Commander watched in terror as Cooler raced off after destroying Androids 1 and 2 in the blink of an eye. Android 3 compared his power to that of Gohan as a Super Saiyan, and even then the hero never did gain an edge against the Red Ribbon's most lethal pair.

But never in his wildest dreams did he expect Android 10 to be destroyed. He was designed to be the ultimate machine of war. Powerful, indestructible, a walking bastion of might. And in the end, Staff Officer Black met his end once more thanks to Goku's lineage interfering.

With only three Androids remaining, there was nothing left of the reborn Red Ribbon Army. Nothing left for him to command. If he could no longer be a Commander, then he would be the harbinger of destruction for them all.

His mechanical fingers typed away on the keyboard before him, activating the Red Protocol. "You wanna play dirty then...I'll play..."

Once the program had been activated, Android 9 hurried to the development center. If the Devil's Pair was coming, he would need to be ready.

* * *

The siblings were sitting in a mountainous region when the sensors in their heads started beeping at them. "What the..."

17 sat up as Red Protocol had been activated. "Well...that's interesting. Looks like Papa Red wants us to come home."

"This could be a trap 17."

Her brother hopped up to his feet and dusted his pants off. "Oh come on. You think the preteens are going to threaten us? Besides, we talked about visiting the family again."

18 groaned with disgust. 'Family' was a term that made her want to throw up. "There's a difference between taking down some of their little bases, and Red _inviting_ us back."

"Man. You really are chicken." 18 swung her fist at her brother's head. 17 dodged swiftly and started to laugh at his sister's glare. "Chill! I'm only kidding, sis."

"I'm going to tear your freaking head off one of these days," 18 threatened. 17 only smirked. "So are we going or what?"

"Just waiting on you." The Devil's Pair floated off the ground and then took flight into the sky.

* * *

Gohan quickly popped a Senzu Bean into his mouth as Trunks joined him on the ground. The hero smiled before he ruffled the boy's hair. "You did good." The youth swatted his mentor's hand away with a sour, yet proud, glare on his face. The celebration was cut short when Gohan sensed an overwhelming power approach. "Trunks..."

He sensed it too of course. How could he not? "I'm not leaving!"

"This isn't up for debate. You don't stand a chance against him." Gohan recalled the fateful battle between his father and Frieza on Namek. He remembered that same frustration of helplessness, that urge to help his father. But he knew it was the right call, both then and now. "There's still Android 9 left to deal with. We have to finish this one way or another, otherwise he could get away and build even more Androids."

"But Gohan, you can't fight this guy alone!"

The power was drawing in closer with each second that passed. "NOW TRUNKS!"

Too late.

The tyrant's blue aura turned off as he dropped to the ground. He landed with one knee to the ground, and his body hunched over as his tail swayed violently from side to side. He had a delighted, satisfied smile on his face. The hero met the smug conqueror with a fierce, hardened scowl. The world stood still around the two warriors.

Trunks felt very out of his depth all of a sudden. He had never felt a power so overwhelming, barring Gohan's. Trunks had never witnessed a battle between two powerful warriors before. The war against the Androids had shaped Trunks' views to see the Androids as nothing more than heartless machines. He wasn't wrong, but being face-to-face with the tyrant before him was more daunting than he realized.

"So...you're the son of Goku."

"And you are the vengeful tyrant who's been wanting to see me..." Cooler chuckled with amusement as he rose up to stand on his feet. He was roughly Gohan's height. "You worked with the Resistance...you helped the people of Earth. All just to pull me out of hiding?"

"I'll admit, I kept the Earthlings alive at first because they had knowledge of the Androids, and they _were_ useful. However, I went back to my ship before this attack, and started searching through the Red Ribbon Army's databases, where I found the files on your old friends, the Z Fighters. Each and every one of them was listed as dead, with footage of their deaths." Gohan frowned at that. He didn't need a reminder about how he failed time and time again. "However, you were the only one listed as active. Some more recent footage showed you fighting alongside the Resistance."

"So you knew ever since you came back. When that missile was launched at the Resistance, and you just stood there..."

"It was a gamble," Cooler admitted with a taunting smirk. "But I really had nothing to lose."

Gohan's fury sparked as he glared daggers at the ruthless tyrant. "You're as twisted inside as your family..." With an angered cry, Gohan's golden aura exploded around him. The ground shook and gave way under the weight of his power, with winds lashing out from where he stood. "You've dug your own grave, Cooler!"

Trunks shielded his face from the dirt and wind. He rarely saw Gohan so angry. It was not something he liked being around.

Cooler's smile widened. The raw, immense power of a Super Saiyan was far from the disappointment the Androids turned out to be. "Well...now it's getting interesting..." His smile vanished as the Arcosian King began to roar with all his might, drawing his power to the surface. His dark blue aura exploded around him in a violent display that tore into the rock and earth around him.

Gohan didn't bat an eye under the tyrant's show of power, as the dust rolled past him. Trunks was trembling in fear as the two overwhelming forces bore down on him. His chest tightened with worry, and terror, as the purple skinned monarch flashed a blood thirsty smile.

"I'm glad you're amused," Gohan sneered.

"I am," Cooler responded, with genuine glee. It was almost joyful to watch the monkey get upset, and all over a worthless species. "Show me...the power that defeated my brother! And know when I have broken you, monkey, that I will turn your beloved planet, and everyone on it, INTO DUST!"

Both combatants unleashed the deepest pits of their true might. Gohan's golden aura grew and swirled in tandem with Cooler's blue energy. The Earth itself seemed to tear apart under the sheer power between the two.

"NOT ON MY WATCH!"

The two dashed towards one another and met in the middle in a direct collision with their forearms striking out against each other. The force of the impact caused the ground beneath them to cave downward, tearing into the earth around them. Both Gohan and Cooler pushed in an attempt to overpower the other, but neither gained any leverage.

Cooler broke the brief pause by slamming his knee into Gohan's stomach. The hero folded over with a pained cry. The tyrant capitalized on the opening and slammed the Super Saiyan into the center of the small crater with a double axe handle to the back. He followed up by launching a powerful wave of energy after the falling Saiyan.

Gohan smashed into the bottom of the crater, but was quick to bounce back and launch himself out of the hole before Cooler's energy attack hit. The blast expanded the crater, but the hero managed to escape through the smoke.

Cooler was swift, and caught Gohan off guard and slammed a knee into the hero's side. He carried the Super Saiyan through the air, before Gohan twisted around and slammed his elbow across Cooler's jaw. The block knocked Cooler senseless as Gohan followed through on the spin to deliver a boot across the same side of the tyrant's face, sending Cooler careening across landscape.

He pulled himself to a stop as Gohan came rocketing down. As Cooler prepared to defend himself, the golden warrior vanished. Before he had time to process this, Cooler was elbowed straight into the ground. Gohan quickly shifted back in the air and pulled his hands back by his hip.

"Kamehame—HA!"

Cooler felt a sudden spike kick-start his senses. He didn't bother to turn around, he only raced forward as far as he could to get away from the Super Saiyan's attack. The super powered energy wave's explosion threw Cooler across the ground. The king bounced twice across the ground in a less than graceful manner before he reached out and caught himself. His fingers dug trenches through the earth, before bringing his knees down to anchor himself in place.

The tyrant felt his blood pumping through his veins. He rose up onto his feet and stared up at the Super Saiyan floating above him with a vicious smile. It had been ages since anyone had pushed Cooler so far. He was thrilled to finally have a challenge after so long.

"Well, not bad. Rather impressive actually..." Cooler slowly floated off the ground. Gohan tensed up and fell into a defensive stance, ready to fight. The tyrant stopped once he was on the same level as his foe and brushed some dirt off of his shoulder. "Yes...I could see how my family had trouble with this power..."

 _There's always going to be someone stronger in the universe..._

Cooler's smile vanished as he tried to push that voice out of his head. He did not need that distracting habit popping up now. The Super Saiyan was powerful, but not stronger. His might would not be second guessed to a lowly golden monkey.

It was good to see that the monkey clearly had other thoughts on the matter.

* * *

Android 4 was knocked to the ground by a double shoulder charge from Salza and Neiz. The blue skinned lieutenant laughed next to his sneering comrade. "Zhis is almost too easy! Zhe heroes of zhis planet fell to zhe likes of you?!"

"Looks like Frieza and his forces were real piss-ants to get beaten by them then," Neiz added.

Android 4 snarled furiously at the ground. The aliens didn't know it, but they had already won. Android 1 and 2 were offline, 3 was missing, 5, 6, 7, and 10 were all destroyed. A decade ago, she was able to fight on par with the likes of Tien Shinhan. Now she couldn't defeat even one lousy thug from outer space.

Their coordination in taking down 5 and 7 was unlike anything she had seen before. They set them up for a perfect chain of combos, and executed them swiftly. Android 4 they were just toying with, like cats with their prey.

"So we each killed one of these Androids," Neiz said. "You, me, and Dore. How do we count this one?"

Salza chuckled and playfully backhanded Neiz on the arm. "We split zhe kill of course!" Neiz cackled as he and Salza pulled their arms back together. An orb of golden energy formed between their hands, the combination of their energy poured together into one source.

Android 4 clenched her fists while she processed what her death would mean. She didn't have long before the blue and crimson alien launched their attack. She watched the radiating ball of death coming towards her with softened eyes. At least she tried.

Android 3 couldn't say that much.

The ball hit and detonated with the force of a small warhead, leaving nothing but smoke and dirt in all that remained.

Neiz started to cheer with delight at their victory. "HA! Two for us, and Dore is one behind!" Salza quickly dropped down to the ground as Dore limped his way to them. Neiz dropped behind Salza and smirked at his comrade. "Heh! Dragging ass again, huh?"

"Feh! I softened them up for you ya know!"

A thunderous clash caused the Armored Squadron to turn their heads. Their master moved with the Super Saiyan so quickly that the Armored Squadron only saw their blurred figures.

"Lord Cooler knew there was a Super Saiyan still alive!" Neiz smiled with twisted delight at that fact.

"He used those Earthlings to flush him out after putting them in danger!" While the other two got a laugh out of Cooler's tactics, Salza was less than thrilled that they were kept in the dark as well. Did their master not trust them to keep the secret from the Earthlings? Or was this because of their previous failure?

"What do you think we're supposed to do now," Neiz wondered. They didn't stand a chance against the Super Saiyan, and Cooler wanted no assistance in bringing the monkey down. With no more Androids, there was nothing to do besides watch Cooler fight his prize.

"Zhere are more of zhese drones remaining. Zhey could still be considered distraczions to our master!"

Neiz cackled as he blasted off, with Dore charging in head first on foot. They were always excitable, and their need for violence was easily catered to. Salza was still worried about the exclusion on Cooler's plans. It was something he could worry about later, lest he lose sight of his duty.

* * *

Android 9 worked feverishly on the remote as the alarms in his laboratory started ringing out in a deafening sound. They entered the Red Territory, and the computers were sounding off their warnings of defeat. This is what Android 3 saw. This is what she caused. 9 would dismantle the rebellious Android when he managed to get his hands on her.

This is what he wanted from the Red Protocol. The Devil's Pair had arrived. He expected to have more time. The remote would never work, and there is no time to finish it. He had no Androids left to defend against the siblings if they found him first. The only other hope was that they ran into Gohan and Cooler first while he escaped.

Of course they didn't beeline for the main fortress. They moved all over to cause as much destruction as they pleased. There was still a chance of them finding the others. Then his enemies could kill each other.

Whoever survived would have to deal with his new army. There was one more place he could rebuild. One location he hid from the rest of his Androids, for fear of a full scale rebellion. It was a last resort, but there was no other choice. The next generation of Androids that Doctor Gero began after the fall of the Red Ribbon Army.

"If I'm going down, I'm bringing all of hell down upon this planet," Commander Red shouted. After inputting the coordinates into his personal jet's systems, the aircraft's engines roared to life. Pandora's Box was about to open up.

* * *

Another base went up in dust as 17 launched another golden glowing bomb down on the hapless drones. "Oh man! This is so fun! There aren't even this many humans left to bomb like this anymore!"

18 huffed and looked around while her brother admired the crater he formed. "I don't like this. Where are the preteens...?"

"I thought you didn't want to see them?"

"That doesn't mean I'm not expecting them. We've blown up a crap ton of their home turf and there isn't even a greeting party. That oversized lummox called us and he doesn't even send his best at us?"

"You worried about some kind of trap sis?"

"I don't think that they would sacrifice so many of these tin cans so casually. There's something else going on..."

17 would have made a sarcastic remark, had a clash of thunder not interrupt him. The Devil's Pair stared out in the distance where to blazing lights clashed. A familiar golden glow against a radiating blue light bounced off one another.

"Is that...Golden Boy?"

"He's fighting someone," 18 pointed out. It wasn't the preteens. Androids did not produce an aura like the heroes did.

"There's no way that's the kid." There was nobody else on Earth that it could be. There was nobody besides the Androids that could fight with Gohan.

"Whoever it is, they're fighting against him..." It took him a moment, but 17 understood what his sister was implying.

"They're not friends...but that means...if they're not Androids, and they're fighting Gohan..." 17's mind immediately went to the aliens. They avoided the topic for years, but 18 knew it was a passion of 17's that never really died. "Holy...18, you don't think...?"

"Goku and his friends killed the aliens, 17," 18 responded with a ticked off tone. After he learned about an alien invasion, 17 had become a bit obsessive for a brief period of time. After he learned that there was nothing left from the invaders other than the pieces Gero threw into Android 2, 17's fixation with space aliens died quickly.

"But what if there was more? What if they were waiting in space because..."

"Why would they wait thirteen fucking years, 17?"

"Maybe they were leading this galactic empire, but when the other two were killed off, it threw everything into chaos, and there was a huge space war that he had to stop in order to restore balance to the empire he inherited, before coming to get revenge for his family?"

"Oh my fucking—you are _such_ a nerd! Do you even understand how stupid you sound?!"

"How else do you explain Red's invite, no preteens, and someone strong enough to fight our Golden Boy?"

18 frowned at the rather difficult to argue facts. Things didn't add up, but she refused to feed into the alien conspiracy. "Let's find out..." 17 grinned and followed 18 towards the clashing super powers.

* * *

The two warriors battled viscously as they were locked in rapid close quarters. Cooler's speed and strength were tremendous and tireless. Gohan never remembered Frieza being so dangerous. This tyrant was prepared, and skilled. Thankfully, he was not flawless.

Gohan capitalized on a brief opening as he threw his knee up to Cooler's gut. The tyrant pulled back just in time to block with his own knee in a striking impact. In a second reaction, Cooler twisted his body around to strike Gohan's head. The Super Saiyan blocked the oncoming fist with his forearm, but left his midsection open as Cooler's tail wrapped around him and squeezed his gut tight. Cooler flashed a grin before he twisted his body in the other direction and hurled Gohan towards the ground at breakneck speeds.

Gohan stopped himself in an instant, but still only ended a few feet away from slamming into the ground. He had finally got some needed distance from the tyrant to come up with a new strategy. Gohan certainly did not expect Cooler to be so skilled a fighter. Compared to his father and his brother, Cooler was much improved. And Gohan could sense that his opponent was still holding back.

Cooler's eyes stared at Gohan, watching for the slightest sign of movement. The Super Saiyan's prowess as a combatant was profound. He was relentless and sharp in his attacks, going for crippling and damaging strikes from the go without sacrificing energy or openings. That was more than just the power of the Super Saiyan. Gohan was a trained warrior, that much was certain, and his Super Saiyan energy apparently gave him no end of power and stamina. It would have been thrilling to watch Frieza get battered senseless against a true warrior. The humiliation and delight almost brought a smile to the older brother's face.

The king dropped into a battle ready stance. It was a call sign to a fellow warrior to prepare himself for the next round. The hero responded in kind by taking a defensive stance to beckon his opponent forward.

Cooler chuckled with an amused smirk, while Gohan was calmed and stoic. The monarch charged forward, aimed to meet Gohan head on.

"Can I ask you something?"

Cooler's charge was halted in an instant at the voice out of nowhere, and turned in his confusion. Gohan's eyes widened as his head filled with alarm and panic.

"No..." He turned his head upwards and saw to his horror the Devil's Pair floating above.

Cooler was baffled at their appearance. He had already destroyed the first of Goku's murderers, and in the heat of battle against the monkey's son, he never expected that the others would come to him.

"Did you get here in a spaceship, big guy?"

"You are _not_ flying a spaceship!"

"Oh come on 18! What are we going to do with this place when we run out of people to kill?"

"Okay, let me correct myself, you _can't_ fly a spaceship!"

"Well maybe this guy is willing to hitch us off this planet? Let me ask."

17 descended out of the sky to meet with the purple skinned alien, much to his sister's alarm. "W-wait, 17, hold on you idiot!"

Cooler watched in bewilderment as the black haired Android came down to meet with him. "Hey! Can we catch a ride in your spaceship off this rock? See, this planet is running out of things to kill." 18 slapped 17 in the back of his head, silencing his request.

As the pair argued, Cooler's confusion grew. The strategist in him saw a rather unique opportunity. The possibility of brokering an alliance with the two Androids to join the PTO would increase the might of his army. They weren't the ones that necessarily killed Goku, just the ones who allowed him to be killed. The PTO had many in its ranks that joined simply for the thrill of killing. They were easily exploitable, and the Android's immature nature could be used to easily keep him in check.

"Why can't I just ask him?"

"You don't know if this shit is hostile towards you or not!"

17 rolled his eyes and turned away from his sister. "Hey, big guy, you promise us a ride off this planet when we're done with the population, and we'll kill Golden Boy for you." Cooler's eyes narrowed in fury. "Yeah? See, 18? We'll kill him for a ride in your spaceship to whatever planet you want to drop us on. As long as they have a pretty big population too."

Another planet they could unleash hell on? The weight of the Android's destruction became that much heavier as he imagined another world of innocents going through the same nightmare. He turned his gaze to Cooler, praying that the Arcosian royal wasn't considering the offer. Thankfully, his enraged stare seemed to be directed at the Androids.

"17, he does _not_ look happy!"

"Oh come on, you've obviously got beef with Gohan there. We have experience taking down those Super Saiyans before. I mean, this one is really stubborn, but I promise we'll kill him without you having to raise a finger."

Son Goku, and the Saiyan Prince Vegeta were both Super Saiyans slain by these Androids. Although they did not have the reputation of taking down Frieza across the galaxy, they had killed two Super Saiyans already. Until Cooler killed a Super Saiyan, the title of strongest in the universe laid with the Androids, not with his family.

18 realized the alien's intentions before her brother. "17!" In an instant, the tyrant closed the distance and slammed his fist into 17's jaw with blinding speed. The collision knocked the Android senseless and sent him sailing. 18 instantly brought her attention to the alien as he swung his leg around at her. She pulled to the side and caught the monarch's limb, quickly spiking down her elbow.

Cooler quickly fired a point-blank energy ball that hit its target, and consumed the Android in an explosion. At the last second he was able to pull his leg away to keep it from getting blown off, but if it was broken, then it would have just been dead weight.

"DAMN IT!" The smoke cleared as the tattered Android revealed herself. "You dick! I liked this jacket!"

"What the hell is your deal?!" 17 joined his sister, blood trailing down the corner of his mouth before he brushed it away.

"You two were responsible for the murder of Son Goku," Cooler snapped. "You robbed me of being able to avenge my family! I will not allow this transgression on my name to stand! I am King Cooler, last of the Royal Family of Arcose, leader of the Planetary Trade Organization, Emperor of the Universe! I will not allow you pathetic machines to be the strongest in the universe!"

"Oh jeez, that's what this is about?"

"You really think you're stronger than us?" 18 felt a headache coming on at her brother's response. Of course he would meet macho bullshit, and raise it with a boost of testosterone. "Newsflash, Lizard Man, your family died to Goku. Goku, died to us. You think you can beat us? Tell you what, just give us a ride off this planet, and we'll just let things slide."

Gohan nearly gave a sigh of relief that he wouldn't need to fight three of them at once. Maybe there _was_ someone looking out for him today. He knew Cooler would still be coming after him, as a bearer of the title Super Saiyan, Gohan was another crack in the king's pride. It was a Super Saiyan that killed his family, and Gohan had no delusions that Cooler would still want his kill.

Cooler snarled at 17's arrogance. He knew enough not to underestimate the Super Saiyan killers. With three enemies divided on two fronts, he wouldn't have time to draw out his full power. But that did not mean he would fall. Cooler came to Earth to prove his might to the universe, and he would not back down from this challenge.

* * *

 **Holy crap, I updated...well, almost within a week. I do try though.**

 **So yeah! You're welcome with that cliffhanger. Cooler, Gohan, and the Devil's Pair all duking it out next chapter. Oh how fun that will be to write...ugh. I'll be completely honest, I've only gotten the first page done so far.**

 **As for the preteens...they were never meant to be super duper important to the story. They're just the story's introductory villains. And admit it, the suspense and expectation that got you to this point was kinda worth the wait, wasn't it?**

 **More on the doings of Androids 9 and 3 in the future, as well as how Android 3 logic-ed herself to change her programming. Armored Squadron does stuff. Trunks does not. More Resistance things in the future, as well as an explanation to what the actual hell is going on with Kami's Lookout. Needless to say folks, the story is far from over.**


	6. Chapter 6: Cooler's Revenge

The Red Territory, it had once been the area controlled by the Red Ribbon Army, which covered most of the world. In less than an hour, over half of the land had been blown to bits, and the Red Ribbon Army broken.

The Armored Squadron was doing a mop-up of the enemy drones in the area, to keep Cooler's fight from being interrupted by ants. That was before the fight doubled in size. They watched as their master fought against both of the Androids, who matched him in speed and strength, but combined could swiftly overwhelm him if he gave them an opening. And if it wasn't the Androids, there was the Super Saiyan that he also attacked when he could.

Against the Super Saiyan, Salza, Dore, and Neiz wanted to think that they could have aided Cooler in some way after clearing out the second army of drones. But watching the three way fight between the Devil's Pair, the Super Saiyan, and Cooler, they knew they would only get in the way if they tried to help their master now.

* * *

Gohan had managed to separate 18 from her brother once Cooler and 17 broke off into a skirmish. Although he tried to avoid attacking the tyrant directly, Gohan still defended himself when Cooler assaulted him. And he did take a few sucker punches when engaged with Cooler directly. His primary goal was destroying the Androids before he or Cooler used up too much energy and left themselves weakened. The Androids never tired, and could easily outlast the both of them. If Cooler had limits, the Androids could gain the advantage if he burned out too quickly.

Gohan blocked a strike from 18 and countered with a fist driving straight to her face. 18 slapped the fist to the side and rushed into Gohan's face with a rising palm to his chin. Gohan managed to pull away quickly enough that he barely caught the wind from 18's hand against his jaw. The look of frustration on her face was met with Gohan's steely glare.

Cooler did not relent in his attack on 17, but he Android managed to stay just a second ahead of him. 17 countered with a swift punch that smashed into the monarch's face. Cooler was thrown back and 17 went blasting after him. Cooler snapped his gaze down and reached out to grab the oncoming punch before it landed this time, and the next, locking 17's arms in his furious grip.

"Nobody disgraces our family and lives to tell about it!"

"Oh I am going to enjoy shutting you the hell up!"

Cooler brought his head crashing against the bridge of 17's nose. The Android cried out as his head thrashed back violently. Cooler pulled 17 forward into a driving knee that brought the Android doubling over. The monarch pulled himself back before yanking 17 in with him, pulling 17 right into his rising kicks. The final blow sent 17 spearing up into the air before he stopped himself.

17 spat to the side with an annoyed, but joyful smirk. "Not bad, Lizard Man. Not bad..."

Cooler refused to be baited by petty and immature nicknames. Almost more infuriating than anything was that the Androids did not fight like warriors as the Super Saiyan had. They were more like Frieza, untrained, opportunistic, and unrefined. More importantly, they were annoying.

He was the Emperor of the Universe. He was the strongest warrior in existence. Nothing would steal that title away from him.

18 kicked Gohan back as the hero tried to charge her after deflecting one of her attacks. As he moved back, Gohan launched a ball of energy that raced towards her. She smacked the golden bomb down, but left herself open to Gohan as he charged in with a roundhouse kick to the side of her head. The blow to the head sent 18 flying, and Gohan was quick to pursue her. Before the Super Saiyan could land his punch, 18 fell down and quickly brought herself up feet first into Gohan's jaw.

"17!"

Cooler turned his attention for only a second at the cry of the Android's voice, before the younger of the Devil's Pair swooped in and knocked him straight for a collision course with Gohan. The two warriors slammed into each other with a thunderous impact that nearly knocked them senseless. The both of them had stars exploding in their vision as the back of their heads collided. Before Gohan could react, Cooler spun around and spiked the young warrior to the ground with a sharp elbow to the back of his neck. He turned to launch a finishing attack on the Super Saiyan, but a double drop-kick to the back sent the tyrant crashing to the ground even before Gohan landed.

Floating in place where Gohan and Cooler had crashed, 17 and 18 looked down as the Super Saiyan finally hit the ground too. "This is great! It's better than having just Gohan to beat around!"

"How dangerous is he, 17?"

The younger of the siblings rubbed his aching jaw with his fingers, "He hits about as hard as our Golden Boy. About as angry too." A deafening impact was heard from the ground below. Gohan and Cooler had restarted their skirmish on the ground. "And there's no love lost between those two either."

"So...this guy thinks he can beat all three of us? Why is it every man I meet seems to just have a bigger ego than the last?"

"Say what you want, but all that 'I'm the strongest in the universe! I'm a king!' crap is pretty well founded. He hits like a train."

"You wanna trade up then?" 17 smirked at his sister.

"I guess I can give you a shot at the lizard. Maybe keeping him around instead of Gohan will be more worthwhile?"

She shot her brother a glare. He was still scheming about going to space. She knew he was."All I know is, I'm done relying on your 'good' feelings after we kill someone."

* * *

Gohan stopped the savage knee Cooler threw at him, catching the bended joint with his hands. The tyrant did not stop there. He twisted his body around and brought his tail lashing across Gohan's face. The Super Saiyan slammed into the ground and went sliding across the dirt several yards away.

Cooler smirked as Gohan didn't move. Before he could rush for the kill, 18 appeared before him in the blink of an eye, and slammed her fist across Cooler's jaw. He was thrown back several yards before he stopped his trek by digging his hands through the dirt.

Once the pain dulled enough for his senses to take over, Gohan rolled over onto his back and stared at the Devil's Pair watching Cooler. He knew where this ended. Even with a second opponent, the Devil's Pair was too strong, too coordinated to gain an upper hand against. If Cooler couldn't turn the tides, then there was no chance in hell Gohan could win against both Androids on his own.

Not unless Cooler could take one of them out.

Anger coursed through every fiber of his being. Cooler clenched his fists until his darkened nails broke the skin of his purple palm. He could not let his anger consume him however. A warrior blinded by rage was as useful as a child in combat. These Androids were nothing more than arrogant bastards, but he couldn't deny that they were incredibly powerful. Cooler shifted his eyes over to the Super Saiyan to evaluate his other target. The monkey was holding the 'wait and see' policy before going in.

Cooler saw through the simple tactic. It was a clever, if not underhanded scheme of course. And even then, it played to his advantage. After his skirmish with the Super Saiyan, dealing with the Androids felt like an annoying formality.

He refused to work with the Super Saiyan however. He was still a target, _the_ prime target, and the focus of his mission. The Androids would pay for taking the life of Son Goku, and Cooler would have the head of the monkey's Super Saiyan son as his trophy.

But the Androids did present a larger threat. With three opponents all gunning for him, Cooler would never have the chance to unveil his secret weapon. Unlike the previous generation of Androids, the Devil's Pair were more powerful, and worse yet, they did not seem to tire. First them, and then the Super Saiyan.

Cooler's dark blue aura flared around him before he went charging in for the Devil's Pair.

* * *

Trunks hated himself for being so useless. He watched with clenched fists at the battle unfolding before him. Cooler sent 18 flying with a punch, and Gohan was quick to do the same to 17. Gohan moved to rush after the Android, but Cooler grabbed him by the boot and slammed him back into the ground.

He knew this battle was unlike anything he had seen before. Cooler and Gohan's battle had been fierce enough to begin with, but with the Devil's Pair arriving, it had turned into a full scale war.

Trunks couldn't help in the fight, but he could still be of use. By hiding and waiting for an opening, Trunks had saved Gohan's life more than a few times, and he had experienced enough battles with the Red Ribbon Androids, and against 17 and 18 personally to know how to fight.

But he sensed the powers of Gohan and Cooler at their max. He could sense their energy slowly waning as they struggled to destroy the Androids. He was nowhere near strong enough to stand with either Gohan or Cooler in this fight.

His chest tightened with anxiety. He was worried about Gohan, but he needed to keep an eye out for any opening against Cooler, or the Androids. If Gohan was going to win this, he was going to need all the help he could get.

One opening was all it would take. That was all they would need to secure a victory against either enemy.

* * *

All it took was a quick breather, and Dore was able to keep himself up on his feet, to watch the battle against four incredible powers. Neither he, nor Salza, or Neiz, had ever been witness to something quite like it before. They were so use to watching their master destroying and slaughtering hundreds over the last decade that seeing anyone or anything match his might, or even best him, was shocking.

Cooler had surpassed his family years ago in terms of strength. They knew the Super Saiyan would be a challenge, and they knew that the Androids had killed Son Goku. They saw it with their own eyes. Watching their master struggling to gain an edge was more than unnerving.

They watched the battle from a distance, in silence, until Neiz's scouter went off. "What the...a target?"

Salza and Dore turned to their crimson skinned comrade, just as the former's scouter went off as well. "You have a reading on something?" His scouter had been blown to smithereens during his fight with the Androids.

Neiz nodded his head and turned to where his scouter was pointing him, "Some sort of primitive propulsion system? Coming from the Red Ribbon Army base." Neiz and Dore both turned to Salza for a course of action.

Salza wanted to pursue any of their enemies. Cooler made it clear that every last Android would die. And until their campaign on Earth was over, the Armored Squadron still had to make up for their previous failing. Allowing any Android to escape would be unacceptable. Even so, Salza was not fully comfortable with the idea of leaving their master on his own.

"We will not doubt our leader's power," he finally said. "Zhis fleeing target shall not take zhat long to hunt down, and Lord Cooler will not need our help in finishing zhese pests!"

Salza saw the doubt on Dore and Neiz's face. He did not show his doubt to them, but it was there. They did not question their lieutenant's orders however. The Armored Squadron took off to the sky to finish off the last of the Androids quickly.

* * *

Cooler slammed his shoulder into Gohan with a vicious charge. The blow sent the Super Saiyan flying towards the Devil's Pair. 17 and 18 both jumped to either side of Gohan and immediately charged the tyrant. 17 drove in with a right cross aimed at Cooler's chest. The Arcosian vanished from sight and appeared just above 17, before twisting his body around and crashing his heel into the Android's back. Cooler watched the Android slam into the ground and bounce before turning his attention to 18 driving straight towards him.

The tyrant pulled back in an attempt to gain some distance, but 18 was hot on his heels. As 17 stirred, Gohan charged back into the fray by attacking the brother of the Devil's pair.

Cooler was making the fight difficult. If he could stick to one Android and allowed Gohan to do the same, they had a serious chance at winning. He was blinded by pride though, and wouldn't allow any of his prizes to be claimed by someone other than himself.

He slammed his fist across 17's face, but the Android countered by twisting around and slamming his foot into the side of Gohan's cranium. The Super Saiyan was sent sailing across the ground, before he took to the sky. As predicted, 17 followed him into the air.

Gohan pulled his hands together, connecting his thumbs and and extending his fingers upward to meet at an angle, forming a triangle with his hands, and 17 was right in his sights. "Tri-Beam..." A blinding energy began to gather in the space between Gohan's hands, preparing the attack Tien taught him as a young boy.

17 realized too late he had walked into a trap. "Oh son of a—,"

"HA!" 17 braced himself for the all consuming wave of energy that came crashing down on him with an enraged roar.

When the beam's energy died down, Gohan glared at the smoking Android that remained aloft in the sky. All he had to show for his attack were the tears and ripped holes in 17's clothes, and his disheveled hair. "Gotta say, Gohan, you're really starting to piss me off!"

That was a plus at least. When either 17 or 18 were angry, they were more prone to mistakes. The major problem was usually _both_ of them together, even if one or both of them were angry. If 18 could keep Cooler busy long enough, and vice versa, Gohan had a chance of using 17's anger to his advantage. The Androids were not fighters, but they couldn't be underestimated.

Gohan and 17 charged at each other and collided together in a blinding bout of lightning fast blows and strikes. 17 became angrier the more attacks Gohan dodged, and the more hits he took from the Super Saiyan. The more infuriated he became, the faster and harder 17's strikes became, but they also became more predictable and easier to dodge.

There was an opening when 17 tried to swing his leg at Gohan's midsection. The hero caught the Android by the leg and smirked as his foe showed panic. Gohan locked his arm around 17's leg and started to slam his fist into the Android's face with all his might over and over again. Unfortunately for 17, the lock on his leg prevented him from moving as Gohan continued to pummel his face. The Android soon caught Gohan's fist with one hand and threw a counter punch at his face. The Super Saiyan released 17's leg to catch the Android's attack, and quickly followed with a knee to 17's abdomen. 17 cried out in agony and folded over as Gohan twisted around and drove him towards the ground with a spin-kick to the spine.

He could do this. He could defeat the Androids. He could avenge the deaths of his father, of Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, and the others. He just had to keep his head on straight, and hope that Cooler could help keep the Androids separated long enough for one or both of them to be taken out. Gohan still had the Senzu Beans to recover any lost stamina too. If he and Cooler both destroy the Androids, Gohan was the one with an ace in the hole.

* * *

The two combatants crashed their elbows together and struggled to overpower each other. Cooler and 18 both glared daggers into each other's eyes before they finally broke their lock and jumped apart. To Cooler's back, he could feel the Super Saiyan's energy still going strong. The other Android was of course a mystery, but Cooler's true prize had yet to be killed.

The blonde Android had proven to be more of a challenge than Cooler had expected. She seemed just as capable, if not more so, than her brother. Where as 17 reminded Cooler of Frieza, mouthy, arrogant, foolish, 18 almost reminded him of...

 _Fists raised son, keep your guard up._

Cooler scowled at the voice whispering in the back of his mind. He tried to push the memory back, to keep his focus on the here and now. 18 took his scowl the wrong way, and immediately charged at Cooler. The Arcosian King rushed to meet the Android head on.

 _Focus. Watch my shoulders and hips to see where and how your opponent will strike_.

He did just that, ducking and twisting under or around the Android's strikes. The style was instinctive, not directed by the voice of his deceased mother. She trained him how to fight, and he had mastered her combative teachings at an early age. Over the years since his youth, he had mastered the fighting style that was taught to him by the former Empress. He couldn't understand why he could still hear her lecturing him however.

Cooler swiftly countered one of 18's missed strikes by throwing a savage kick at her face. She narrowly pulled her head to the side quickly enough to dodge the strike, and quickly reached up to lock her grip on the tyrant's leg. 18 twisted her body around and hurled the space king across the ground. Cooler caught himself on his hand, dragging his palm through the dirt, before he pushed himself off and flipped into a sliding halt.

 _I said focus, my Little Icling._

Cooler tried to force the voice into silence. He would not be lectured by a dead memory.

He could destroy the Androids, and Gohan if he had time to enter his next hidden, dormant form.

The next stage in Arcosian evolution, a form accessed only by Cooler himself. It was his hidden weapon, a secret he guarded so closely that not his Armored Squadron, nor General Suika, not even his father, before his death, knew of it. His transformation would have given him the power to take down and eliminate all three of his foes at once. But Cooler doubted that the Androids or Gohan would stand around while he accessed his full power. The Super Saiyan was fighting to survive. He would not hesitate to obliterate Cooler if he felt the King transforming. The Androids were so sure of their power that they might allow him to do so, but they were not trustworthy creations. He couldn't afford to lower his guard around them for a second.

Android 18 threw her hands forward at Cooler before she unleashed an endless volley of energy blasts. Cooler moved fast and pushed forward. His speed was almost on par with the Devil's Pair as he charged head first into the fray, dodging every bomb that threatened to hit him, or backhanding any blast that he couldn't avoid.

When he was close, Cooler slid low to the ground, underneath 18's range of attacks. The tyrant's feet kicked 18's out from under her. She looked down in shock at Cooler as the two remained parallel from each other for only a moment. The King twisted around her body and elbowed 18 in the center of the back. The Android crashed into the ground, pushing into the solid rocky surface.

Before Cooler could deal the final blow, 18 pulled herself forward with enough strength that she was already long gone by the time the tyrant's fist crashed through the ground. Cooler growled and fired a piercing pair of lasers from his eyes along 18's trajectory. The Android quickly anchored herself to the ground with her hand to stop herself instantly. Cooler's attack had come within mere inches of hitting her directly.

Android 18 quickly spun around on her hands and dashed skyward as Cooler charged her. The tyrant chased after her. He trailed behind her a fair distance, and wasn't catching up any time soon. 18 turned around sharply and launched herself down to meet Cooler head on. The two combatants collided and began to clash in a furious exchange of blows.

His frustrations grew as he felt the eyes of his mother watching him, as though he were a child. That feeling pushed him to fight harder, move faster, in order to bring down his enemies once and for all.

Cooler would not die like his mother did. He would not be killed by weaker, lesser foes.

* * *

The ship's sensors confirmed that the Devil's Pair were locked in combat with both Gohan and Cooler, while it took the Commander to the coordinates of Doctor Gero's laboratory. Android 9 felt a bit of relaxation as his ship flew him north towards the mountains. His army destroyed, his forces almost cut down to half their size, and nothing to show for it other than four super powers fighting in his front lawn.

The Androids Gero had created during the height of the Red Ribbon Army's conquest, the Androids that were supposed to hold loyalty to the army above all else, were all destroyed. All except that rogue Android 3.

Now the only chance to survive this, and to complete the Red Ribbon Army's takeover of the planet lied in the deceased Doctor Gero's laboratory. More Androids, but they weren't completed. Only Gero had the brilliant mind to finish his own creations. But 9 needed an army. And Androids were the only things that stood a chance against the strongest fighters on Earth.

They could be killed however. The destruction of even 1 and 2 proved that. The Commander just needed a bigger weapon. And he knew for a fact that Gero's second series of Androids were meant to be stronger, deadlier, than the last. Just what he needed to face a new enemy, to rebuild his destroyed army.

A blast shook the jet and caused warning alarms to blare deafeningly around him. "What the hell?!" Android 9 turned to the rear view monitor. Cooler's three subordinates were chasing him, and gaining quickly. "Son of a..." The cyborg Commander took the jet off autopilot and kicked the engines on max to launch himself away.

"Ha! I knew you couldn't take it down!" Dore seethed furiously at Neiz's taunt as he failed to take down the fleeing Android. Salza ignored both of his comrades, and their gambling habits, before he blasted off after the jet.

The monitor showed the aliens gaining even with his thrusters going as hard as they could. "Fine then! You want to play rough!?" Android 9 pressed a button to bring out his defenses.

On the wings of the jet, two turrets came out with their barrels aimed backwards. They were set to auto-target, tracing after any movement and heat signatures. The guns began firing heavy rounds that the Armored Squadron dodged and weaved around.

"Zhey can only target two of us at a time," Salza pointed out. "Neiz, Dore, distract!" The Brench fell back while Dore and Neiz moved ahead of him. After only a second, Salza moved behind his men while they took the attention of the guns off of him so he could land his shots.

Salza turned his eye at the turret targeting Dore. Though the brute would never admit to needing help, his body was still recovering from the Heat Burst Technique. Even at half his strength, Dore would have been able to blow such a primitive aircraft out of the sky. Salza aimed his index finger forward and fired a single golden ray of energy that blew the turret to flaming wreckage. The second one was destroyed just as easily.

Android 9 scowled as both of his turrets went offline. He flipped a switch on his console to activate his next offensive.

A hatch opened on the underbelly of the aircraft as Salza rejoined Neiz and Dore. A small mechanical arm lowered a missile, aimed directly for them. Even Salza smiled at the pitiful attempt at self defense. As the warhead was launched, Neiz launched a blast from his palm before it got anywhere near the others. The missile exploded in a fiery cloud of smoke, and the Armored Squadron came racing through it a moment later.

"This Android is something pathetic," Dore shouted. It clearly was not a threat if it was running away in an aircraft armed to the teeth. That was the sign of a desperate creature.

"Dore, take zhat ship down!"

"Don't mess up this time," Neiz taunted. The forest green brute glared spiteful daggers at the Zaltian before his aura exploded around him. Dore raced forward and caught up with the Android's jet. He dove downward on the aircraft and punched a hole through the aircraft's structure.

An explosion split the ship in half once Dore tore through it. The two halves of the jet flew off in opposite directions. The rear section landed in the open field, and the upper half landed in a nearby forest.

"We take no chances," Salza ordered. Neiz nodded before he and Salza unleashed a volley of golden energy bombs raining down on the nearest half of the Android's aircraft in the fields. It was swallowed up in a chain reaction of explosions until nothing was left but a smoking crater and flaming debris. "Onto zhe next one! Quickly!" Dore overheard the command and raced off with Neiz and Salza after the other half of the jet.

They reached the wreckage within seconds thanks to the trail of smoke and the trench the crash tore through the trees. The pilot's window was shattered, but there was no passenger inside. "Zhe Android is on zhe run! Destroy zhis ship, zhen you two split off and search for him. Neiz, keep in contact! I would razher not have to bomb the entire forest!"

Salza took to the sky as Neiz and Dore destroyed the remains of the wreckage. If only the Androids' power could be found on a frequency the scouters could scan. For now, they had to hunt the old fashion way. Destroying the last of the Androids was more of a chore than was expected. As much faith as Salza had in his master, he still didn't like being so far away from the action. But they would be in the way if they tried to join the battle.

"You can't hide from me, Android scum..." Salza's blue aura flared before he raced into the horizon to check the forest for the fleeing Android.

* * *

Gohan held the advantage against the anger fueled 17. Despite Gohan's efforts though, and to the Android's credit, he was pushing the battle closer and closer to his partner. If 17 and 18 were to combine their efforts, they could easily pick apart Gohan and Cooler.

17 made no effort to hide the fact he was retreating, and Gohan was hot on his heels. The Super Saiyan grabbed 17's ankle and yanked him back out of the air. "Damn it!" The duo continued to soar through the sky, trading fists and kicks at lightning fast speeds. Gohan's tactic to push 17 further from 18 was becoming obvious enough for his Android foe to pick up on it, and counter in time when Gohan attempted to get behind him. "Too slow!"

17 twisted around and drove his fist into Gohan's abdomen. He followed with a spiraling uppercut that nearly knocked the hero's block off. 17 brought his leg around to split Gohan in half. The Super Saiyan vanished in an instant as the Android struck empty air. Gohan appeared above 17 and sent the Android crashing through one of the Red Ribbon Army's destroyed, blazing outpost.

"Gohan, look out!" The Super Saiyan turned his head at the sound of Trunks' warning as Android 18 came charging at him like a raging bull. How she slipped past Cooler, Gohan didn't know, nor did he have time to contemplate it before 18 sent him flying across the horizon with a shoulder charge. A second later, Cooler reappeared and sent her flying in the opposite direction with a furious kick. A moment after, 17 came flying out of the debris of the outpost and slammed into the tyrant, carrying them both higher into the air.

Gohan stopped himself in the air and looked up as Cooler started battling against both 17 and 18. He could feel it. Already fighting against three separate opponents was eating away at Gohan's energy, and battling Cooler before the Devil's Pair arrived didn't help matters. Worse for the tyrant, he had battled and destroyed the Red Ribbon Androids, fought Gohan, and was now on the defensive against Earth's deadliest pair.

"Gohan, are you alright?!" Gohan turned his head as Trunks came up to him.

"Trunks, are you keeping an eye on _both_ battles?"

The question startled the youth, as did Gohan's stern glare. "Y-yeah, I've been waiting for an opening on the Androids, or Cooler."

"No! Trunks we've got to focus on destroying the Androids right now! If you see an opening to help Cooler, or myself, you take it!"

"Wh-what?! Are you still on about this?! Gohan, he's just as bad as the Androids! Probably worse!"

"I don't have time to argue this right now Trunks! We're both going to die either way unless we can gain an advantage against them! That's why you're here! You're the only hope we're going to have of getting through this!"

A thunderous blow caused both Saiyans to turn their heads as Cooler's body went crashing towards the ground. The tyrant slammed into the ground, leaving a hole in the ground, and rubble to pile on top of him. When Gohan looked up above to the Devil's Pair, they each had a hand raised in the air, and a golden energy bomb eight times their size glowing above their heads.

"Damn it! Trunks, do what I say! We're helping Cooler!"

Before the teen could protest, Gohan blasted off to the tyrant's aid. Trunks watched his mentor, cursing his desperate plan. More than anything, Trunks was furious with himself for agreeing that Gohan was right.

They had to place their bets with Cooler, or risk losing everything.

* * *

"Got a good feeling about this one, sis?" 17 asked.

18 smiled and looked over at her brother, "Okay, maybe this will keep the new guy down." The twins smirked and cast their eyes to the pile of rubble as it began to move.

Cooler shook the dirt off of his head as his vision slowly settled from seeing double. When he did, he realized the radiant light of a small sun was shining down on him. He turned his eyes up as the Devil's Pair threw an energy ball the size of a spaceship at him.

The King prepared to take the blast head on, but something happened that caused him to pause. A warrior with golden hair appeared in front of the attack and caught it against his bare hands. Cooler's eyes widened at the sight as the Super Saiyan made an effort to save the tyrant's life at the risk of his own.

 _Mother, why did you kill them?_

 _They were without honor, without mercy, and beyond redemption._

Cooler shook the memories out of his head before he raced up towards the energy ball that started to press down on the Super Saiyan.

 _The Arcosian people value honor above all else, my son. If someone proves to be our ally, we shall help them._

As he crashed into the gigantic ball, Cooler pushed up against it alongside Gohan. The hero stared at his right in awe as his foe offered aid. Cooler's added might made the attack that much lighter, and gave both warriors enough strength to push back the giant energy bomb.

 _If a being proves to be without honor, or integrity, if they choose to make themselves our enemies..._

The Devil's Pair watched in shock as their combined attack was being held in place, and slowly pushed back away from the ground. Neither of them could believe that Cooler alone had such strength.

Both warriors charged their auras and unleashed a furious battle cry. They both unleashed a full powered blast from their hands as they sent the bomb sailing back at the Androids, carried by the force of four pillars of blue energy.

 _Then they will know only a cold death._

The Devil's Pair didn't even try to deflect the attack. Instead, they scattered to the sides as their own attack was sent racing into the skies above. They both looked down and saw two roaring powers, one golden and the other a dark blue.

Both Gohan and Cooler turned off their auras and stared up at the Androids. It was Gohan who dared a look at the tyrant next to him. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about being so close to a member of Frieza's race without being in immediate mortal danger. It was unsettling.

"How much power do you have left?" the tyrant asked.

"I've got a little over half left in the tank," Gohan replied as he cast his eyes upward. Cooler gave a dissatisfied grunt. "What about you?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Super Saiyan. You focus on surviving this fight."

"I don't suppose I could talk you into postponing our fight after these two?" Cooler turned his attention to Gohan, which brought the hero's gaze back to the King's. Gohan watched Cooler carefully, before the tyrant cast his eyes back skyward.

"Your father was the reason I came here. The legend of the Super Saiyan strikes fear throughout the galaxy, more than my father, and more than my brother. If I am to truly surpass them, I will kill a Super Saiyan at his fullest potential. Those two Androids are simply part of my revenge."

Gohan was the trophy, the Androids were just a formality. "You know, you could just tell the rest of the universe you killed a Super Saiyan?" Cooler shot Gohan an unamused glare. The hero just smiled in the face of the tyrant's silent threat and shrugged. "Worth a shot. So...are we working together then?"

"Pick an Android," Cooler ordered.

Gohan smirked and looked up. "I think we could be friends if you gave it a shot."

"The female is more skilled a fighter, but her brother is more powerful."

"I've been fighting them for half my life, I know what they're capable of." Admittedly, he didn't have the reserves to duke it out with 17 right now. If Cooler was as confident as he seemed, he had a better chance of keeping up with the strongest of the Devil's Pair. "I'll take 18, the blonde one. If you get 17 angry, he leaves himself open during his attacks."

Cooler gave another disinterested sound before his aura roared to life around him. Gohan grinned and did the same before he and Cooler charged skyward to attack the Devil's Pair head on.

The siblings were more than shocked when Cooler and Gohan charged them together, and effectively sent them flying in opposite directions. The tyrant chased down 17, who glared daggers down at the King.

 _The Arcosian people value honor above all else, my son. If someone proves to be our ally, we shall help them._

 _The enemy of my enemy._

 _But we're still not friends._

 _I think we could be friends if you gave it a shot._

Cooler pushed past the voices echoing in his head as he dodged 17's punch aimed for his head. The tyrant appeared behind the Android , but instantly pulled his legs up in a back flip as 17 spun around with his leg extended outward. Cooler flipped around and brought his foot down on 17's head and sent him flying to the ground.

He did not need friends.

 _Even the mightiest ruler needs allies, my son._

He did not need allies. He was the Arcosian King. The Emperor of the Universe. His power was absolute.

Cooler was ready as 17 came blasting out of the ground. He slapped the Android's charging fist to the side and brought his knee crashing into 17's chin. The Android quickly brought his head back down onto Cooler's skull, nearly knocking the King senseless. 17 threw a right cross, but Cooler vanished before the blow could connect. The Android was stunned momentarily before an iron grip locked onto his ankle, and sent him flying across the sky.

* * *

Gohan pressed the assault on Android 18, who was completely on the defensive. He was succeeding in pushing the Android back, but he had yet to land any damaging hits. Gohan had never known 18 to be put on the fence so easily. He landed a kick that she blocked, but landed with enough force that she rocked back out of reach of the Super Saiyan. The two warriors hovered across from each other, exchanging glares at one another. Gohan waited for her to strike, but 18 sat there like him, waiting. He raised his fists sharply, getting an equally sharp reaction from 18. She scowled at this tell, baring her teeth at the Super Saiyan.

"You're not trying," he pointed out. 18 just continued to glare at Gohan while he tried to figure out why. "You're trying to wait for an opening to get back to your brother, aren't you?"

"I'm waiting for your little friend to show himself," 18 snapped. Gohan tensed at her statement. "You think I would have forgotten? He's the whole reason you've lasted longer than the rest of your friends."

She was expecting Trunks. 18 wasn't going to leave herself exposed to a sneak attack. And Trunks couldn't fight 18 out in the open, even with Gohan's help. All it took was for 18 to get her hands around his neck to stop Gohan in his tracks.

Gohan prayed that Trunks would turn his focus away and help Cooler. If 18 was going to wait out an ambush, she was going to wait out Gohan's last reserves of energy too. Exploiting 17's overinflated ego was the only chance they had to win.

"I remember when you were that useless backup," 18 taunted with a smirk on her face. "What hurt more? Killing your dad? Your teacher? Maybe it was killing off the last of your buddies?"

Gohan's gaze hardened at the smug murderer. He had learned to live with the guilt, and to accept that they were gone. His father, Piccolo, Krillin, everyone important in his life were dead and gone for over thirteen years. A fact that stung deeply, but nothing that 18 could coax out of him. He learned a long time ago that if he died in vain, then the sacrifices of his comrades, and the millions of innocents and the thousands of soldiers that died fighting would be for nothing. Even so, Gohan knew that sitting and waiting would draw out 18's suspicions, and that would create more problems. He would have to take the fight to her, and hope that Trunks listened to him.

* * *

As Gohan charged the Android, Trunks watched her go immediately on the defensive again. He had heard everything, and he knew what Gohan was thinking. Trunks wanted to believe that maybe if he waited, then 18 would slip up and together they could take her down. But he knew that the Android was too clever, and Gohan was going to burn through his energy before he could pop another Senzu Bean.

But Trunks couldn't bring himself to trust Cooler. If 17 were destroyed, what was to stop the tyrant from killing Trunks, or turning the fight against Gohan and 18 into another three way duel? Trunks didn't understand how Gohan could have so much faith in a murderer, a villain.

It was clear that 18 wasn't going to give Trunks an option in the matter. As badly as the teen wanted to help, he knew with his current power level that he would only get in Gohan's way. He was a liability in battle, but good enough to keep around for a sneak attack, or to carry Gohan to safety before the Devil's Pair could get the killing blow.

That's what this was about though. Trunks looked around at the scattered wreckage that was once the height of power for the Red Ribbon Army. The tides had changed in their favor, thanks to the space tyrant. Cooler and his men had destroyed the Red Ribbon Army and it's Androids, and now Gohan was working with the most evil being in the universe to finish off the Androids once and for all.

He remembered the Resistance boy with only one eye, who watched over him after the last battle with the Devil's Pair. Trunks thought of Vi, Hercule, Videl, and the Boss, all of whom were alive after a direct assault into the Red Territory. Even if Cooler had used the Resistance to draw Gohan out of hiding, he also helped them, armed them, and gave the people of Earth...

Hope.

Gohan wasn't an idiot. He knew that this was their only chance to turn the tides against the Androids or good. And in his own, twisted way, Cooler seemed to have some merit of honor. He set aside his mission to kill Gohan in order to turn his focus to the Devil's Pair, despite the bad blood shared between them. Trunks didn't believe that Cooler would spare Earth, or Gohan for that matter, but he recognized that the tyrant's arrival had forever changed the war Trunks and Gohan had been waging all his life.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Trunks turned his attention and focus to Cooler's battle against 17. Unlike the one-sided battle between Gohan and 18, Cooler and 17's duel was much more ferocious. The two exchanged blows at a blinding pace that Trunks could barely follow, with echoing thunderclaps when their attacks collided.

Trunks set aside his worry and flew towards the battle, keeping low and out of the way in order to wait for an opening against 17.

* * *

Another crash was heard as Cooler and 17 locked forearms, vanished, reappeared with their knees crashing together. They both drew their fists back and traded punches that threw the other's head back. 17 was the first to counter, quickly spinning around to bring his leg sweeping into the tyrant's gut. Cooler folded over with a pained cry before another spin kick threw him further back.

"What's the matter, 'your highness?' Running out of juice?"

The irony was not missed. The only reason he managed to win against Androids 1 and 2 was because they had burned through their energy over a decade of war. Android 1's energy stealing capabilities only exacerbated the problem when Meta Prime was born. It ate away at Meta Prime's newfound power, and then some, to the point where their merger was broken after Android 2 left her superior to die.

Now, after destroying two Androids, and a brief, intense skirmish with the Super Saiyan, Cooler's power had started to wane. The Devil's Pair did not tire or run out of power, giving them a distinctive edge over the King. Had he been at full strength at the beginning of their fight, or if he only had the chance to transform, the Androids would have never stood a chance.

17 flashed a grin before he brought his hands together out in front of him and launched a yellow wave of energy at the tyrant. Cooler threw his hands up and caught the blast and was immediately pushed back by the force that hit his hands. The King stopped himself and struggled to keep himself anchored in the air as 17 laughed.

"I can do this all day, big guy! You want to be the strongest in the universe?! Take some advice from your betters then! Don't fuck with—,"

"Double Buster!" 17 snapped his head around as an enormous blast struck him in the back, disrupting his attack and nearly consuming the Android in the explosion.

Cooler's eyes sprouted open before the beam died out in his hands. Had the Super Saiyan already destroyed the other Android?

"Again with this kid?!"

Cooler turned his eyes down and saw a purple haired Earthling glaring angrily back at him. He turned his attention back to 17, who was also glaring at the youth.

17 was wide open.

"I'm going to kill you this time!" the Android shouted.

Cooler launched a snap-shot Death Beam that punched through the Android's chest. 17 froze in place as he seemed to register the attack a second after it struck. He looked down at the small, smoking hole in his chest, and then looked over at the monarch. The look of utter shock on 17's face brought a vicious grin onto the tyrant's face.

Cooler charged forward too quickly for the stunned Android to register. He slammed a striking palm into the hole in 17's chest with enough force to shatter a mountain. Whatever 17's innards were made up of, the blow right over his chest where the Death Beam had struck was bound to cause internal damage.

Android 17 attempted to strike back as he threw his fist for the King's face. Cooler pulled back and grabbed the Android's wrist, keeping his arm fully extended and locked in place. He struck against 17's elbow, bending his arm back in a way it wasn't designed to. The break caused 17 to howl out in agony before Cooler silenced him with his palm, digging his fingers into the Android's jaw.

Cooler hoisted the Android up with a triumphant smirk on his face. 17 attempted to break free by throwing his leg out in a desperate move. Cooler blocked the strike with his forearm, and used the same arm to pierce 17's knee with another Death Beam. The Android let out a muffled howl into Cooler's palm, clutching at the ruthless monarch's wrist.

"What was that about taking advice from my betters?" Cooler pulled his fist back and drove it home into 17's stomach, threatening to tear through any lesser being. 17 let out a twisted, muffled cry as the blow all but rendered him catatonic.

* * *

Something was wrong. 18 could feel that something was off. She risked a counter against Gohan, if only to push him away. She looked over towards her brother's battle, and was stricken with terror as she saw him hanging by Cooler's grasp.

"No...LAPIS!"

Gohan turned in bewilderment at the unfamiliar name. "Lapis?" He had no time to even think about it before 18 punched him across the face in her mad dash to save her brother.

* * *

Cooler's palm began to glow against 17's mouth, as the injured Android glared defiantly at him. "For an artificial creation, your power is impressive. But the title of strongest belongs to me, and me alone..."

Trunks clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. This is what he wanted, for the Devil's Pair to be destroyed. For the first time in his life he was seeing victory over the Androids. But helping the likes of Cooler left a sick feeling in his stomach.

He watched and waited as the tyrant descended on the floor of the crater, standing over the fallen 17. The halfling's heart was thundering in his chest, waiting for the mechanical demon's destruction.

That moment never came however, as he felt something or someone shoot past him from behind. Trunks couldn't even react to 18 rushing past him, straight towards Cooler.

A punishing blow knocked Cooler across the horizon, causing him to release his grip on 17's mouth. 18 turned and grabbed her brother and instantly took off in the opposite direction.

Cooler brought himself to an immediate stop. A look of absolute rage was painted on his face, veins bulging out from his tense muscles as he looked out to the vanishing dot that was the Devil's Pair.

"NO! Damn it!" The tyrant's fury wanted him to pursue the Androids, but with no energy signature to track, there was no way to follow after them accurately. There was only one goal Cooler had left in mind as he turned around to look at Trunks.

The young Saiyan met the tyrant's gaze with a panicked expression. Cooler stared at the young Saiyan and scowled. It wasn't long before Gohan arrived and put himself between Cooler and Trunks. The two warriors exchanged heated glares. Cooler was the first to relax and turned his back towards the halfling heroes.

"Consider the extra time I'm allowing you to live as a small courtesy for assisting me during that battle. I will not show mercy next time. After I destroy the Androids, I will be back to claim your life, Super Saiyan. So rest up while you can."

Gohan flashed a smile and powered down from his Super Saiyan state. "I'll be waiting. Best of luck in your hunt." Cooler huffed before he took off in the direction the Android's fled, beginning the hunt to track them down.

Both heroes looked up and stared at the tyrant as he disappeared through the clouds. Gohan looked over at Trunks, who seemed utterly shocked by the fact he was still alive. "Trunks...you okay?"

The teen trembled and looked over at Gohan. "I...I think...we won?"

The hero gave a widespread grin. "I guess we did. Good work Trunks." Gohan ruffled his ward's head and nodded back. "Let's go tell the good news to the others."

* * *

Outside the Red Territory, the Resistance hid on the edge of the forests. They heard the thunderous clash of the super powers far in the distance, like a coming storm. The sounds of battle had died down, leaving the Resistance to wonder what had happened.

Launch had her eyes fixed on the sky facing the Red Territory. She was determined to make a final stand, to give either the Devil's Pair or Cooler every last bit of vile, bitter defiance humanity could sling at them.

She was so prepared for the worst that when she finally saw Trunks and Gohan, she nearly broke down in tears.

Excitement stirred through the ranks, before the Resistance came out all at once, cheering, screaming, and sobbing in relief as their heroes came back alive and in one piece. Launch had realized that she couldn't remember the last time Gohan and Trunks came out of a fight without having to be saved or limping away with their lives.

The heroes descended from the sky before the Resistance Boss. Gohan was smiling at Launch, who returned with a soft smile of her own. "You...you did it?"

"Android 17 is crippled, but 18 saved him and escaped together. Cooler decided to spare us some time for helping him out." Launch didn't care about the specifics of whatever arrangement had been made. She was beyond relieved that Gohan and Trunks had survived, and that they were alright. "The Red Ribbon Androids are dead, all except Android 9 are accounted for..."

"We can handle it," Launch told him. She could already tell by Gohan's tone that he had something in mind, something more important than hunting down the lummox in charge of the Red Ribbon Army. "Without the Androids backing them, and without their Commander leading them, the drones won't stand a chance."

"If you're going to try to retake the Red Territory...be careful. Cooler may be gone, and I can't sense his men anywhere, but that doesn't mean they won't come back."

"So where do you think you're going then," Videl asked.

"I'm going to check in on your dad." Gohan pulled out the bag of Senzu Beans Hercule gave him before he tossed them to Launch. There were wounded members of the Resistance that needed the Beans more than he did. "Courtesy of the World Champion. Apparently he...he found something. I need to check it out, but I promise I'll come back immediately."

"We understand," Launch said. "We'll hold here before pushing into enemy territory. Good luck Gohan."

"Same to you. Come on Trunks." The two quickly took off into the sky, following Gohan's direction as the Resistance cheered their heroes on.

Android 9 was the only one unaccounted for, but he was leagues from being at all comparable to his forces. They had all but won the war with the advanced gear their space friends gave them. Now was the time to push back, and end the Red Ribbon's reign once and for all.

* * *

Android 9 sprinted through the mountains, making sure to stay low and to use any crack or crevasse to keep himself hidden from his alien pursuers. He was close. So close. He just had to avoid his pursuers a little longer.

They chased him from the crash site for miles into the mountains. He wasn't sure how they even knew, but they followed along the same trail he did. They couldn't sense him, only see him, so Android 9 had to ensure that he was down low and hidden as much as possible.

Once he saw the cavern, he knew he had arrived at his destination. "Doctor Gero's lab..." Android 9 quickly jumped up the mountain's wall and dashed into the cavern before anyone could see him.

Standing across from him were a large pair of heavy metal doors and a keypad that would allow him entrance. Only two people in existence knew the code: Commander Red and of course Doctor Gero himself. 9 punched in the code and the doors slowly opened for him.

Inside the room were ten total empty stasis pods that had been abandoned for over thirteen years. The pods that housed the dormant Android Army, Androids 1-7, Android 10, and of course the Devil's Pair. Both Androids 8 and 9 were kept and activated elsewhere. After the fall of the Red Ribbon Army, Gero brought the rest of his creations under one roof to improve on their designs.

Commander Red stormed across the lab and made his way towards the back wall. Yet another secret that only he and Gero knew.

The underground basement.

Android 9 entered a different code into the hidden keypad. A panel of the wall unlocked, and slid open to allow the gigantic cyborg access into the waiting darkness below.

He only prayed that there was something worth salvaging.

As Android 9 descended the stairs, he swore he heard something in the darkness below. The whirling of machinery, the hum of systems booting up. "Was all of this still running? That's...impossible!" Android 9 ran down the stairs and entered in the secret underground lab, where he was greeted with thousands of flickering lights of the machines and computers that lined the walls. He counted them in total. Eight more stasis pods, numbered 11 through 16. At the back of the room were two more numbered 19 and 20. Android 9 grinned from ear to ear and started laughing with joy. "Yes! I knew Gero had the rest stored away! Doc, you magnificent old bastard, I knew I could rely on you! With this army, I'll be invincible!"

" _Not you, Red."_ The mechanized voice sent a chill down the Commander's spine. He looked around for the source, but nobody else was in the room with him. His eyes finally settled on the Android chamber across the room, on Android 20. The hatch for the lid was suddenly blasted off, causing Android 9 to dive out of the way. "These Androids belong to me..."

Android 20 stepped out of stasis as his shoes tapped lightly on the metal floor. Android 9 looked up in anger, ready to lash out at the Android that dared to attack him. But when he saw the creation, any words he had died on his tongue. "Y-you..."

"Your assistance in restarting my primary systems is greatly appreciated," 20 spoke as he walked to the nearest computer console. "If it wasn't for you, I would have likely remained in stasis indefinitely." Android 9 continued to gawk in horror. Android 20's fingers flew across the keyboard in front of him as he checked the status of the other Androids. "Hm...the first generation all but wiped out? What a predictable outcome."

"H-how...how are you alive?!"

Android 20 ignored 9, "All but 3 and 8. Both defected it seems if they're not with you..." He checked the status of 17 and 18 and gave a delighted smile over his wrinkled face. "Excellent...the siblings are alive. That means there's still time..."

"GERO! I order you to tell me—," Android 9 was silenced when Android 20 turned around and blasted the giant through the skull with his eye lasers. The leader of the Red Ribbon Army was stunned, and otherwise dead on his feet. When his body caught up with him, Android 9 fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor in a loud impact.

Android 20's unflinching eyes watched the lesser cyborg crash to the ground. Doctor Gero was foolish to waste his time trying to rebuild the leader of the Red Ribbon Army for no reason. There were many reasons why Gero was a foolish human. Android 20, a virtual copy of Gero's mind at the height of his hatred, designed and imprinted to be the basis of his Super Computer's primary programming, carried on his creator's work on after he had passed on. During that time, the Super Computer continued Gero's work, it also created an artificial body for itself designed in Gero's very image.

Unlike Doctor Gero, Android 20 had none of his creator's human weaknesses. He was driven by a singular, ultimate goal. And that goal relied on capturing Androids 17 and 18, and that would require reinforcements. Once the siblings were captured, his goal would be complete.

The ultimate creation of Doctor Gero's would achieve its true, perfect form.

* * *

 **So, he didn't quite get his revenge but...he's gettin' there. I'll go ahead and admit, I didn't give this one as thorough an editing as I have with say, previous chapters, but I kinda wanted to get this one out for you all to read. Hopefully it was worth the wait and with any luck there aren't any gigantic holes in the story that I missed during the quick editing.**

 **Something I'm going to try to do in the future is keep each scene from one person's POV. I realized while adding in the breaks for this chapter some scenes had multiple POVs, which kind of made things confusing to read, but adding in a line break every four or five lines was kind of distracting I felt. So I'm definitely going to work on that in the next chapters.**

 **Also, a bit of shameless self advertisement, if you're a fan of the Bungie series Destiny, I started a new fanfiction called Guardians Rising, if you want to take a look at that. I didn't expect the Destiny fanfiction viewing fanbase to be that big obviously, but it helps my muse to not just focus on one singular idea to keep things from getting stale. But, I digress.**

 **SO! Who saw that ending coming? Anyone? Android 17 crippled, the Devil's Pair on the run, and now Android 20 is taking center stage as the Big Bad. Or is he...? Either way, there are more dormant Androids at his disposal (a total of eight if you add them up), and he intends to hunt down 17 and 18. The Resistance will meet unexpected (pardon the pun) resistance when invading the Red Territory. Remember Cyborg Bon? He kinda escaped, and is regrouping with some...fellow cyborg types in the Red Ribbon Army that have not been introduced to the story yet (psst, the 'cyborg' part is a hint). What of Android 3 you ask? And what about this whole mess about the Lookout disappearing and suddenly coming back now? All that and more will be answered in the next chapter (but more than likely, I'll leave you guessing again by the end of it).**

 **Thank you for reading this far! Reviews fuel my addiction to writing.**


	7. Chapter 7: Resistance

They flew halfway across the globe in a beeline before Gohan finally went upward. Trunks followed, but not before noting the decaying rubble on the ground below. He had only heard tales of Korin's Tower, and Kami's Lookout, in stories from his mother, or even more rarely Gohan. Gohan personally didn't like to talk about it, and Trunks knew because Piccolo was the one who trained Gohan. When Piccolo died, Kami died as well, and so did the mystical Dragon Balls. When Tien took charge of the Z Fighters, the first thing they did was head to Kami's Lookout, which had mysteriously vanished. There was no explanation, no reason why. And then Hercule comes by thirteen years later with Senzu Beans, and claims Kami's Lookout was exactly where it was supposed to be.

Gohan was a little more than interested in finding out if it was actually there or not, and what actually happened to it.

Trunks followed Gohan through the clouds, until they were greeted with a floating structure resting perfectly in the sky. He had never seen anything quite like it before in his life. Gohan didn't pause as he took off and landed on the structure's courtyard. Trunks landed behind Gohan and took the beautiful, simple scenery in. It almost seemed like a separate world so high above everything else down below. A separate existence, peaceful, compared to the war Earth had suffered for over a decade.

Across the courtyard, standing in front of what Trunks could only describe as a palace, was Hercule, and a strange figure who quickly came towards them as soon as he spotted Gohan.

"Oh! It is you! Gohan, thank goodness you're alive!"

"Mister Popo...what's going on here? The Lookout was gone and—,"

"I know! I'm terribly sorry Gohan! It happened when Kami died. Without a Guardian, the Lookout is not visible to mortal eyes. It's a ritual that has been in place since the first Guardian, in order to keep the enemies of Earth from finding this place. Oh, it's so good to see you!"

Gohan didn't have time to think about the implications. He was too happy to see an old friend still alive, and the Lookout untouched. "I guess it worked out for us in the long run after they destroyed Korin's Tower, huh?"

"Yes," the genie replied as he bowed his head. "Korin was a good friend, and he shall be missed." One of the more devastating attacks by the Red Ribbon Army was destroying Korin's Tower, ending the martial arts master's life, and their supply of Senzu Beans.

"Mister Popo, you grew the Senzu Beans that Hercule brought?" The genie nodded his head. "How many more do you have?"

"I just loaded up the ship with even more," Hercule answered as he pointed to his small, one man aircraft. "I was gonna take them to the Resistance, but Popo here was telling me that the Androids were destroyed!"

"The Red Ribbon Androids, yes. Androids 17 and 18 are still at large, but our mutual enemy is hunting them down. We have some time before the next attack, and we need to be ready. In the mean time though, Launch and the others are getting ready to reclaim the Red Territory from those drones, so they might still need those beans, Champ." Hercule nodded and quickly went to his ship to prepare for take off. Gohan turned his attention back to the caretaker of the Lookout. "Mister Popo, years ago, right after Piccolo died, the rest of us came to the Lookout to see if...maybe there was something up here we could use to turn the tides."

"I remember. Oh Gohan, I tried to hard to override the ritual, to signal you all in some way!"

Gohan heard the guilt in Popo's words. He offered his old friend a comforting smile and shook his head. "Don't blame yourself. I just need to know if there's something up here that I could use to fight the Androids, or Cooler."

A look of recognition flashed over the genie's face, but it was gone in an instant. "I-I'm sorry. Gohan, I'm afraid that there may not be time."

"May not be time for what?"

Popo sighed and looked out to the blue skies around them. "I've learned to sense the events of the Earth from up here in my isolation. I've sensed the cities, the hundreds of millions that the Androids have been murdered. I've sensed something...darker down there as well."

Cooler. Gohan had sensed something deeper. Despite the fact that the Androids had nearly driven the populace of Earth to extinction, Gohan knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Cooler had destroyed entire planets. He definitely fit the description of something darker.

"Look, he's kind of a necessary evil right now Mister Popo. But if worse comes to worse I need—,"

"No! Not Frieza's brother. There's something worse!" A sharp chill raced down the hero's spine. There was something worse than the Androids, worse than Cooler that had been on Earth. "Oh Gohan, it's been lurking in the shadows for years!"

"W-worse? What is it...?"

"A monster. I'm not sure _what_ it is, but it's been feeding, growing its power in secret for years."

"How is that even possible," Gohan asked. Popo just shook his head in silence. Even he couldn't explain what it was, or how it was getting stronger. And it was worse than the Androids, and still loose on the planet down below.

* * *

The Red Territory was down to western end of their territory, and the main fortress itself that was built upon the remains of Central City. Launch could feel the excitement in the air. The Resistance had been spending all day running through the various bases and outposts in the Red Territory. Though some fights were intense, the drones alone were easy prey without any Androids, or any Commanders to reinforce or coordinate them. And with the armor and weapons Cooler provided them, plus the Red Ribbon weaponry they scavenged from destroyed garrisons and outposts, the Resistance was armed down to the teeth of every last man, woman, and child. The main complex in the heart of the Red Territory would be the hardest take down, even with Android 9 gone. But without Androids, or an army, he wouldn't be much of a threat once they found the former Commander.

All they had to do was hope and pray Gohan could finish off whatever evil superpower survived the final excursion. The Resistance was just taking down what garbage it could so Gohan didn't have to bother with it.

But in almost a day, they swept over half of the Red Territory on their own. It was something worth celebrating in its own merit. It showed that humanity still had plenty of fight left in it, no matter what. It also proved that humanity could still be a threat as well.

"We're doin' good on our own, yeah?" Vi sat down at the Boss' feet, facing the sky above. The excitement, the soaring morale could be felt throughout the entire Resistance. "I mean...when was the last time we kicked this much ass?"

"Those first days of the Resistance, back when you were a snot-eating brat who wasn't old enough to join."

"Still didn't stop me from being a scout," Vi replied with a taunting smirk. Launch didn't argue and sat down next to the young soldier. "The youngest member of the Resistance to join."

"Now we're full of kids."

"And we're all winners today. Kids or otherwise." She was right. They couldn't compare to the gods that Gohan and the others seemed to be, but they were still fighters. They were survivors.

That didn't mean that they would back down from Cooler, or the Devil's Pair, even in the face of death. The last few days had made the Resistance almost feel invincible, or just extremely lucky. And whichever they believed, it was enough that the men and women that made up their army wanted to keep pushing. But fighting in the dark was reckless and stupid, even with superior equipment, and they needed a rest before finishing off the rest of the Red Territory, not to mention their main fortress.

"Where's Videl at?"

Vi smirked knowingly. "She's enforcing the sleeping rule." Launch had a sneaking suspicion that Vi was intentionally trying to hide from Videl for that very reason. "First patrols were decided. Three teams of two and one of three sweeping the area to make sure there won't be any ambushes."

"Smart." With General Bon unaccounted for, they couldn't take any chances. He fled from the battle zone fast when Gohan arrived, and they hadn't found him yet.

Although Bon's madness did have positive effects. Several squads from the Fury Force had abandoned the cause when the General planned to assault the Red Ribbon Army directly, and they arrived to help reinforce the Resistance. The animal-human races helped to provide raw strength, and were more than willing to take on the Red Ribbon Army with the Androids destroyed. Launch wasn't in any position to turn down free help, and the Fury Force defectors were willing to work for them even before learning of what their former General had done.

And rebuilding the world would take everyone's help, with everyone working together. They couldn't afford to stand divided due to unplaced selfishness and pride.

"What do you think we could do after it's all over?"

"You mean if we survive this?"

"Yeah. I kind of remember things...before this apocalypse. Do you think we can bring that back?"

Launch thought about a world without murderous Androids, tyrannical dictators, and galactic kings all threatening their existence. With Bulma's mind and a few other select eggheads that lived, they could use the Red Ribbon technology, or maybe even Cooler's weaponry to make Earth better. A world where they would be able to handle any future threats to the planet so Gohan won't have to shoulder their burden.

"Kid, I think we can do better than before." Vi felt the excitement of an unknown, new world. A world filled with hope and progress. "We've just got to keep going to get that future for ourselves. Gohan and Trunks have been fighting harder than any of us. We've got to do our share to save the world." They were lucky to have the easy job.

* * *

The Resistance gathered in the Western Sector at sundown. They where open, vulnerable to attack. They could not risk a frontal assault at night, but drones did not have such vulnerability. Bon's cracked eye circled on his prey. A vicious smile spread on his face. The tortures he would put that bitch Launch through who humiliated him, who destroyed his Fury Force. The traitors would suffer too. Defectors who had the gall to join the Resistance.

They would all pay, and he would see to that.

"What are you doing General?" Bon jumped to attention and turned to the man standing in the doorway of the command room. "I will not repeat myself again." The superior's red, cybernetic eyes reflected the light in the room like blood red rubies.

"I-I was preparing to launch a counter attack on the Resistance, so that we may crush them when they are vulnerable!"

"You shall not destroy them, you idiot!"

"Wh-what?!" The man lunged out of the shadows and grabbed Bon by the throat, effortlessly lifting the gigantic cyborg off his feet.

"We have no Androids, which means that we have nothing to keep Gohan at bay!" Bon was thrown across the room and slammed against the wall in a second. "If we capture the Resistance, Gohan's little friends, we can hold them hostage! If we don't have hostages, there's nothing to stop Gohan from destroying what little we have left!"

"I-I understand! I'm sorry M-Master Tao!"

A malicious grin spread over the cyborg's face as he looked up at the monitors giving the live feed to their systems. "Master...yes. That's an appropriate title for me, the man who took down these gods with his cunning alone!"

Tao's sole duty in the new regime was to maintain and control the Red Territory. Any attempts to infiltrate the area, scouting or otherwise, was met with Tao's swift, deadly force. He was the first responsive line, and now he was the only remaining Red Ribbon officer commanding the area. He planned to turn Commander Red's ultimate failure into his ultimate victory.

All it took was patience, and a tactile mind.

* * *

The systems finished with the calibrations Android 19 needed before he was fully ready for activation. The large, round Android stepped out of his stasis pod and stared at 20, waiting for a command. "We need to prepare the others. Androids 13, 14, and 15 are closest to completion. I want you to speed that up, and I will work on the others. Their core programming will be difficult to override, but we must presume that the location of this laboratory is compromised. I want to get as many of these Androids active as quickly as possible."

"Understood, Android 20." 19 walked toward the terminal that had cables hooked up to the pods of 13, 14, and 15, charging the systems in their bodies. 20 trusted his servant to finish up the simple booting up process and checking their systems. Doctor Gero created Android 19 to be his personal assistant. When he died, the Super Computer that was Android 20 changed the dormant 19 into a war machine as well. An investment that would prove to be fruitful.

The other three Androids, 11, 12, and 16 would prove to be more problematic to change in terms of their programming. Each had their own faults programmed into their core personalities. Android 11's fault was the same as 17 and 18's. Android 11 was the first attempt to fuse flesh and metal, to create a being of limitless stamina and energy. Unfortunately, Gero did not correct her personality and inhibit her free will. He put her into stasis until he could learn how to make an obedient, self functioning personality program.

That was when he started Android 12. A fully artificial Android, superior and more advanced in every way compared to the previous artificial Androids. He was considered the successor of Android 3's initial design. Its level of advanced programming and awareness however worried Gero when 12 began showing signs of evolution and sentience.

And then there was Android 16. Gero's ultimate failure. His vain, foolish attempt to combine his goal of vengeance with his grief. The eventual roadblock that would bring Doctor Gero's quest for vengeance to a stop. 16, designed only to destroy Goku, but had an unfathomably peaceful nature that Gero himself programmed into him.

These personality defects made them unreliable in Gero's mind, and he was correct. However, he was a fool for not actively trying to improve them. But it was understandable. Gero had a limited amount of time left on this world when he began to plan his vengeance. And in the face of what Doctor Gero's greatest achievement would be, all he needed was 17 and 18 to achieve it. But with the siblings loose and free, Android 20 would require assistance.

Now Android 20 needed soldiers. He needed his own forces to bring in Androids 17 and 18, in order to fully achieve the fruition of his primary programming. The ultimate warrior. The ultimate, perfect creation.

"Android 19, please update me on all progression or difficulties on your end. Once they are read to be activated, come help me."

"As you command, Android 20."

He started with the easiest fix. Android 11, who could simply be inhibited with a control chip to make her as loyal as could be. Android 16 would be the most difficult. Gero buried so much data into 16 to mimic his son's behavior that it would take some time to erase and replace it all without severely damaging most of 16's basic commands. It would almost have been easier to wipe him clean and start over. But Android 16 was admittedly unique compared to Gero's other creations.

That was when the alarm went off. Both 19 and 20 turned to the monitor that showed the intruders. Three of them, alien in appearance. Their armor and scouters had both Androids concluding that they were members of the Frieza Force that invaded so many years ago. They didn't bother asking why, nor did they care.

"Android 9's doing no doubt," 20 stated. "19, you stay here and finish with the updating process. When you're done, plant Android 11 with a control chip, and run a scan on Android 12's systems. I will deal with our guests myself."

"Understood, Android 20."

* * *

Nature was peaceful, quiet, and tranquil. It was an upgrade from the life she had left behind. Laying in the grass was a simple pleasure. Staring at the clear blue sky was another. For once, her mind was able to stop, and she was able to enjoy the silence.

Android 3 had enjoyed the silence after overriding Android 9's commands in her programming. She was no longer connected to her siblings, or to the Red Ribbon mainframe. She wondered if going rogue was what Androids 17 and 18 experienced all the time. It was an odd feeling to be free.

She had no idea what she wanted to do. She knew that living was preferable to destruction in a losing war. There just wasn't a thing she could think of to give herself purpose. A life required a purpose, even the simplest life. Her old life was her family, and they were all gone now. Her purpose was the victory of the Red Ribbon Army, and that too was gone.

No home, no family, no purpose. No life.

There was the option to join Cooler and his crew. She would be subservient to another master, working with an army of space pirates. It wasn't anything new, to kill and destroy. But her power cells would be depleted sooner or later. Cooler might have the technology to fix her shortcomings, making her indefinitely useful, but the chances of him putting in the effort or trusting her were very slim.

Then if she posed as a human for the rest of her life, she could just blend right in. The chances of the humans recognizing her, even outside of her garments, it was a very likely chance. But she had a chance to play on their mercy, if she told them she had changed. But that wouldn't make up for the last thirteen years of deaths she had played a part in.

To start life anew, or to play to her previous experiences. Cooler was likely to use an efficient killing machine. Humanity would be unlikely to forgive an Android responsible for the deaths of thousands. But she didn't want to kill anymore.

She could just hide. From everything, from everyone. She didn't want that either though. She wasn't sure what she wanted.

The Androids weren't made for goals or dreams. Their purpose was what was programmed into them. All of them, Androids 1 through 8 were programmed to serve the Red Ribbon Army. Android 3 deduced that the best way to serve would be to preserve the Red Ribbon Army by surviving. She wasn't sure about any Androids after 9 or 10, but she knew that 9 through 19 were created after the fall of the Red Ribbon Army. Doctor Gero would upgrade the first generation in his spare time, but the Androids he created in order to get revenge on Son Goku were some of the most dangerous, monstrous weapons Earth would ever see.

Or at least they would have been. Doctor Gero never finished his second line of Androids, not completely. Most of them, like Android 9, the Devil's Pair, and Android 10 retained too much of their old personalities and were unable to follow Gero's orders. They were too entitled, too rebellious, too unhinged. Incomplete, but otherwise an immense success in all categories. But Android 3 had all the proof in the world that her generation was also, even more horridly flawed.

Beyond a limited source of energy, Android 3 and the other artificial creations lacked that spark of humanity. They had always followed orders from Android 9, a cyborg, or Android 1. But even 1 was a bio-organic life form. Even when given freedom, a machine was denied any direction or purpose to dictate their life without someone or something giving the commands.

Something in the forest stirred. Android 3 sat up quickly and fixed her eyes on the source of the disturbance. Not a moment later, an older human woman with faded black hair stepped out with a look of surprise on her face as she met Android 3's eyes.

Android 3 froze under the woman's startled gaze. She didn't know whether to run or to stay and talk. What was a human doing so far out in the wilderness anyway?

"Oh I'm...I'm sorry," the woman said kindly. "I thought I saw someone out here and...are you alright dear?" 3 just nodded her head in silence, examining the elderly woman with a critical stare. The woman was clearly put off by the intensity of the Android's eyes, but 3's mind was still in fight or flight mode. "Sleeping in the woods is no place for a lovely young lady to be. We have a camp for refugees to stay at."

"A camp for..."

"Survivors of the Android attacks, who fled into isolation to keep surviving. We try to bring them together, or at least stay in contact between major settlements still standing and the outskirts."

Humans who still lived in the mountains and forests. The Devil's Pair didn't try too hard to search for targets, and the Red Ribbon Army was focused on ending their major enemies. Android 9 had suspected that there might be survivors hiding out in the wilderness, but the hunter drones never brought back any proof of a larger settlement.

Android 3's mind went back to something the older woman said. Her brows pulled together in confusion as she tried to register what she thought could be a compliment. "Lovely?"

"Why yes," the woman answered honestly. 3 looked even more confused as she looked at herself. Since discarding her Android attire, she was dressed only in a sleeveless white top with matching white pants, her pointed shoes, and fitting white gloves. With her rounder face, and short red mess of hair, the Android had never considered her outward appearance 'lovely.' "Are you alright, young lady?"

"Uh...yes. These...camps...what are they like?"

The woman smiled put her hands together in front of her with the utmost patience. "We're mostly nomads and villagers who try to survive in the wilds in our own communities. We grow food, gather supplies, donate to the Resistance, and stick together in order to survive."

"You don't fight?"

"Many of us have built a life out in these wilds. We're either too old, too young, or too stubborn to leave home." That sounded like an Android 9 defect. Too human to let things go. "We're very isolated, even from each other, but there's a closeness in community that we all feel like neighbors."

"Does the war ever reach out this far?" 3 asked. "How isolated can you be?"

"The Devil's Pair rarely search the wilderness for humans. And when they do, it's easy for us to hide from them, since they only target the larger areas. As for the Red Ribbon Army, we would be able to see them coming from miles away out here. It's about as safe as you can get these days."

A small community of humans that were all isolated from the world at large. A place almost untouched by the Androids. A place where she might be able to fade into obscurity.

Perfect.

* * *

"Ah! Jeez! Careful woman!" She could have killed her brother for his mouth. She should have left him. But what else could she do? Staring down at 17, 18 was filled with worry for her younger brother. "Shit...this is bad, huh sis?"

"Shut up," 18 choked. 17 rested against the wall of a cavern that 18 had found. She needed to remember where any of Gero's old outposts were. She needed to fix her brother.

"I'll admit. This one was totally my fault. That little brat hit me from behind..."

She didn't care. She knew 17 was reckless, but she never expected him to be nearly destroyed. He was always faster and stronger, even before Gero abducted them. 18 had to fix her brother up. Half of his body was dead weight that she had to carry.

The worst part was that Lizard King was still chasing them. He was far enough away that they could wait him out and hopes that he moves on, and then have the luxury to look for one of the secret Red Ribbon laboratories that Gero ran before his twilight years. After isolating his works, Gero used most of his old command fortresses as storage houses for spare equipment or extra supplies while constructing a new line of Androids.

They just had to find it first. They couldn't risk an open search with Cooler running around. 18 didn't even want to chance an open confrontation with him. Not with 17 in danger. She stopped to wonder if 17 would have done any differently if she were the one injured. She smiled at the thought, realizing she would probably have to talk 17 out of doing something stupid like challenging the tyrant alone. If the other one were held hostage, or if they dragged the other behind they were a liability. That was supposed to be their rule way back when they were children. But neither sibling was going to let the other go.

"You're not slowly dying are you?"

17 shifted with a smirk on his face, "No, no I'm fairly stable in my critical state." At least his sense of humor was still intact.

"Good. We'll wait here and search for the hidden Red Ribbon base when we're sure that Lizard King is gone." 17 muttered his approval through his weakened laughter. Even if they weren't moving, and they were in a good hiding spot, 18 doubted very much that their target would give up any time soon. They might wait for hours as far as they knew, even if nightfall was on them.

"Shit...I really messed up."

18 turned around and narrowed her pale blue eyes on 17. "Don't do that. We were outnumbered, and you were ambushed."

17 just laughed even more at his sister and shook his head. "Don't _you_ do that. You're supposed to lecture me on this shit, not pat my head and make excuses for me. You wouldn't have let your guard down. You would have remembered that Gohan's brat likes to hide during the fights."

"Now who's acting weird? Stop blowing smoke up my ass." They could get through this. They had made it through worse. They just had to live through the night ahead of them.

* * *

Curse the Androids. Damn them for being ghosts in the way of energy detection. If the scouters had proven useful on any known frequency that Salza and the others could scan for, Cooler himself might have bothered with one. Especially given the fact that his targets were hiding.

He could just devastate the landscape in a simple attack. Maybe destroy only half the planet before dealing with the Super Saiyan. But he had to conserve energy. After spending nearly too much on that last battle, and being the only one chasing the Devil's Pair, Cooler had to practice his self control now more than ever.

He was so close. A second later and Android 17 would have been a headless, broken body to discard in the junk yard. Android 18 was still at large, and was still very much a threat. And Cooler was on his own.

Where his Armored Squadron was, he was very curious about.

They stayed out of the main fight, which was smart on their end. Knowing his men, they would all jump in at the first opening they had. If they were too slow, or if their attacks were too hesitant, too weak, the Androids would have killed them in an instant. The boy that attacked 17 knew his enemy well enough to wait for the precise moment to attack, rather than the first moment. When he fought the Super Saiyan next, Cooler would need to make sure to have his men take down the boy, and any Resistance forces that tried to rally against him. He would not underestimate his foes any longer.

The Super Saiyan, Son Gohan, had proven himself a worthy foe, and his allies just useful enough to turn the tides. Such a warrior would be worthy enough to witness Cooler's augmented form for the first time. The battle may not be as climactic, if not utterly short, as Cooler would have liked, but he had no more time to waste trying to prove his pride.

Here, on Earth, warriors had been made that upset the balance of the universe. Cooler's family, and even his own might had been challenged time and time again. He would not be another failure. He would not be made a universal laughingstock by such a backwater world.

 _Having some troubles?_

Cooler tensed up at the voice that echoed so clearly in his ears. He looked around for the source, but stopped when he realized that the voice he heard was of a dead man. But the laughter that followed betrayed his common sense.

 _Poor brother. You can't even destroy some miserable pieces of junk?_

He was dead. That voice was _dead_.

 _At least I was destroyed by the legendary Super Saiyan, Cooler. I shall be remembered. Will you die, all alone and forgotten at the hands of some machine?_

 _Such a disgrace to MY name..._

Cooler tightened his fists and bared his teeth at the illusions in his mind. He was alive. _He_ was the King. And he was stronger than anything that had ever walked the surface of such a lousy planet, alive or dead.

But the laughter of his brother and father was an echo that he could not clear.

He wasn't doing this for them. If this was for Cold and Frieza, then Cooler would have simply blown the planet to smithereens instead of bothering with this grunt work. He did it because the title of Arcosian Royalty meant something in the universe. He would bring meaning back into that title.

Their father, the former King, and Frieza himself had ruined the name. It was Cooler's duty to restore his reputation.

 _A life driven by pride, is driven toward ruin..._

Another dead voice, as clear as day.

* * *

As soon as dawn had come, they had scoured the mountains from top to bottom and nothing. The Armored Squadron joined back up with nothing to show for their night of searching.

"Zhis is impossible! How could we have missed him?! We have been searching all night!"

"We know," Dore stated in an annoyed tone. "Do you have to yell?"

"And it is no use going back to Cooler with nozhing to show for our efforts!"

"But if Lord Cooler—,"

"I've been keeping tabs on our master all night," Neiz said as he tapped his scouter. "He's still alive, and he's been hot on the move for awhile before he finally stopped somewhere, just before nightfall. My guess is he's hunting the Androids. Or he could be..." Neiz paused and shook his head. "Never mind..."

"Or he could be in trouble," Dore finished. Neiz bit his tongue as he looked to Salza for direction.

Salza did not like leaving a loose end, especially one that they had spent the entire day hunting. But if Dore was right, if their master did need their help while they were hunting in the mountains for a powerless dictator with no army...

"Very well, we shall join up wizh Lord Cooler immediately to—,"

"Leaving so soon?" The Armored Squadron all turned at the voice and raised their guard to a single old man floating across from them. He did nothing, but the trio did notice the Red Ribbon symbol on the man's head cylinder. "You have invaded my territory."

"Another Android," Dore muttered. "This one is new..."

"It doesn't look so strong," Neiz added. "We can take it!"

"Go at it smart, and we can. Dore, you and I will charge forward. Neiz, you flank right." The team got ready to attack, while the old Android did not move. Salza and Dore charged forward screaming. They threw a kick and a punch respectively, but the Android vanished before their sight in an instant. "What zhe hell?!"

"Neiz!" Salza looked over at the Android who was hovering in front of Neiz with a hand locked around the crimson skinned Zaltian's neck. Dore charged toward the Android with his aura blazing. "Let him go!" The Android turned and raised his fist to bash against Dore's face, nearly breaking his jaw. Neiz used the opening to bring his leg up, striking his boot over the side of the Android's face. The wrinkled fighter didn't even flinch, but shifted his eyes back to the taller alien.

His eyes shifted again back to Salza, as the lieutenant moved to cut the Android's arm away from Neiz's throat. Before the Salza Blade could slice through, the Android vanished and Salza sliced through the empty air.

The Android appeared behind Dore silently. The brute quickly jumped away from the unnerving, quick old robot. "Damn wrinkled bastard!"

"You may refer to me as Android 20. You will identify yourselves immediately." None of them said a word as Android 20's eyes shifted between them. None of them took orders from a machine. "Very well. You will die unknown in these mountains then."

The trio prepared for the Android's assault. The old robot pulled his lips up in a confident smile and vanished from sight once again.

* * *

"Keep pushing forward!" Blaster fire tore through the air alongside bullets, and explosions that broke down the front lines of defense on the way to the Red Ribbon Army's main fortress. There was a larger number of drones guarding the fortress, but they were just as easy to take down. Launch fired a beam that tore through the head of a heavy frame drone. The colossal mechanical war machine fell forward, crushing more smaller drones under its weight. "Battle Jackets, punch through their front lines!"

The squad of mech suits jumped into the air from the rear of the Resistance forces, fully armed with rail guns, rockets, and heavy machine guns designed to shred armor plating. They unleashed the full destructive fury of their armaments into the outer wall of the Red Ribbon military base, leaving the forces consumed in a chain of fiery explosions. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a smoking hole in the wall, and the flaming remains of a hundred killing machines.

Launch grinned as the Resistance cheered in victory. She didn't leave them much time to celebrate before taking the lead in the final charge into the Red Ribbon base.

They all charged in, ready to start shooting the second they saw an enemy. The problem was, they saw no enemies. They ran deeper into the base before they stopped in front of the gates to the main complex. Still absolutely nothing.

"I don't like this..."

The Resistance was gathered together in one location. No enemies around, and they were standing at the front door. They wondered what the chances were that they had destroyed most of the Red Ribbon's reserve drones or not, or whether they had walked into a trap.

They realized trap, as heavy drones and automated turrets lined the perimeter, securing the high ground, and locking the Resistance down on the same level as a hidden legion of basic Red Ribbon robots, loaded and aimed to kill.

"Welcome, to my humble abode!" All eyes turned up to a walkway where two figures stood above the Resistance. One of them was Cyborg Bon and a man that Launch didn't recognize, but it was clear he too was a cyborg. "My name is Master Tao. With Commander Red gone, I am now the acting leader of the Red Ribbon Army! I am giving you, Resistance, one chance to turn yourselves over to me. If you disobey, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Launch had heard the name 'Tao' somewhere before. And with Commander Red himself gone, the new fill-in leader would be a poor substitute to avenge all the losses over the years. But if the army itself collapsed, then that was one less threat to deal with. And the first threat that humanity didn't have to rely on its hero to save them from.

The former General still had much to answer for as well. Working with the Red Ribbon Army in secret, assassinating King Furry in order to steal his crown, and all the lives of his own soldiers that he led to ruin in his campaign to serve his cyborg overlord. Bon had nowhere left to run, and Launch was going to make sure he paid for his treason.

"We're not going to be prisoners for you to barter with," Launch shouted. Her reaction warranted a scowling frown from Tao. "We would all rather die than end up being used by you, or the Red Ribbon Army!"

The rest of the Resistance shared her resolve. They had been hiding and fighting for a lifetime against impossible odds. They had their first taste of victory since the death of the Z Fighters, and they weren't about to stop now. Humanity had proven that it can fight just as hard as its heroes. They had proven that they could survive whatever horrors were thrown at them. The Resistance didn't make it so far just to give up.

Tao was ready to make good on his promise to destroy them. He raised his robotic hand up to execute the order, and the Resistance prepared to go down swinging. Before either side could fire a single shot off, the row of heavy mechs covering the right side were suddenly blown into smithereens by a series of explosions. In the sky above, an aircraft with the World Champion's symbol painted onto its side circled around and began tearing into the Red Ribbon drones with two fully automatic machine guns.

"Open fire!" Launch was the first to shoot, blasting a hole straight through a drone in front of her. The Resistance all huddled in a circle and fired in all directions.

The first line of drones were taken out before they took aim and fired into the Resistance. The Armored Brigade turned their shoulders down to provide cover for the rest of the soldiers. Two of them fell with pained cries, but the rest of the brigade held fast before the soldiers they defended began firing back. Cooler had provided the Resistance with more blasters than armor thankfully. Bullets got the job done with soldiers made of solid metal, but the laser blasters that the Resistance was equipped with could take down even a heavy drone with four or five well placed shots, rather than five or six emptied clips.

In the skies above, Hercule continued to gun down and rain hell into the Red Ribbon ranks in the form of explosive missiles and automatic machine gun fire. Flaming wreckage flew into the air as the Champion turned to face against Bon and the new leader of the Red Ribbon Army.

Bon quickly dove off the platform before the plane began opening fire. Tao frowned as the bullets started to fly, and vanished in the blink of an eye and somehow ended up standing on the aircraft itself. Before Hercule could even register his terror, Tao ripped the engine of the aircraft out with his bare hands and a smile on his face. The plane went down, and Tao jumped off.

Hercule cursed under his breath and yanked up on his ship. The outer wall of the Red Ribbon fortress was racing towards him quickly. The former World Champion ejected from the aircraft just before it crashed. He didn't need his parachute, as fate would have it. The ejection shot the former champion onto the platform that Tao and Bon were standing on. Rather than fight, Hercule chose to run deeper into the complex.

Tao landed in the heart of the battle waging around him before he cast his eyes up at the balcony that the Resistance pilot landed on. Before Tao could pursue his prey, a blast tore through his shoulder, causing the master to cry out in agony. The enraged cyborg turned to the sight of a purple haired woman clad in alien armor with a laser blaster in each hand.

"You're going to regret that..."

Vi cracked her neck to the side with a smirk. "Oh I'm trembling over here. You wanna talk that stupid mustache off, or do you want to fight?" Tao scowled and accepted the challenge by charging forward.

Vi quickly turned her body and snapped her forearm up to block Tao's strike. The cyborg looked confused that a lowly human had managed to block his strike so easily. Vi shoved Tao's arm to the side and jumped into the air, and delivered a striking double spin kick. Tao blocked both of the soldier's kicks with only one hand, but the second blow proved to be enough to send the master sliding back with his feet planted on the ground. Tao's frown deepened. Vi met the leader's disapproval with a smile and raised her fists up to defend herself.

"Is that all, sweetheart? You're a far cry from Red Ribbon's usual Androids." Tao's eyes shifted as he analyzed the woman closely. A smirk crossed his face at the discovery he made, but he kept silent before charging again.

* * *

Running through the Red Ribbon base, armed with only a high powered magnum, Hercule followed the signal on his mobile device to his destination. He finally found a pair of doors that led him into the heart of the complex, and the main super computer that commanded the drone army of the Red Ribbon forces.

The structure was enormous in size. The room was lit by neon blue lights, and it was filled with monitors, turbines, and various other technological do-dads that Hercule couldn't even identify.

Hercule reached for the explosives in his backpack, but froze when he saw four figures moving across the light. The champion quickly aimed his magnum and backed away to the door for a choke point. As the doors opened from Hercule's vicinity, a horrifying creature came lunging out and howling at him. Hercule didn't hesitate as he blasted a hole through the robot's chest, dropping it to the ground.

"Hunter drones," Hercule said in realization as he stared at the motionless robot. They were almost alien in design, meant to stay true to their name as hunters in the wilds to search for human refugees. They were scouts, spies, lightly armored, but swift, agile, and versatile as opposed to their more common killer counterparts.

And there were three more left.

A hunter drone dropped behind Hercule and struck the champion from behind. Hercule fell on his chest with a pained groan, but quickly rolled over onto his back and took aim. He fired one shot that punched a hole through the second hunter drone's shoulder, nearly dismembering its arm. Before he could fire a second shot, a pair of locked, mechanical hands grabbed his forearms and pulled his aim away. Hercule looked up at his new attacker, a third hunter drone. It was smart enough not to pull Hercule's arms high enough for him to shoot. The former World Champion tucked his knees to his chest, rolled back onto his shoulders, and with a mighty cry, he drove both boots into the drone's face. Hercule felt some of the metal dent under his feet, and he heard glass break. The champion quickly rolled back onto his feet as the hunter drone he booted staggered back. Hercule twisted around and quickly fired another armor piercing round through the robot's shrieking, broken face.

The second, injured hunter landed a striking kick to the center of Hercule's back. The champ cried out in agony as he was thrown across the room, and slammed hard into some sort of pillar sticking out of the ground. The final hunter drone revealed itself to Hercule as it grabbed the champion, spun him around, and drew its claw back to run the invader through, face-to-face. Hercule shrieked and quickly pulled himself to the side as the hunter's claw drove through the pillar behind him. The drone shrieked in defiance as it tried to pull itself free. Hercule took his opening and slammed a mighty fist into the robot's face, nearly breaking through the murdering machine. The hunter drone was still active, but barely, as it gave a broken shriek at Hercule.

The champ ducked under the robot's attempt to strike with its free claw, locking his grip on the hunter's arm, and pulled with all his might. The hunter drone gave a pained shriek as its arm stuck in the pillar was torn from its body, which was thrown through the air and into its fellow one armed drone by Hercule. The last remaining threat jumped over its counterpart and rushed Hercule, before a heavy slug blew its head into shrapnel and screws

Hercule did one last, rapid scan in the room. Once he was confident the room was empty, he took off his backpack and began pulling out the explosives. The central structure of the processing room was the target. The Overseer wanted the rest in tact.

* * *

Vi struck hard and fast, but Tao managed to duck, pull, and twist around each attack with his hands clasped behind his back. Despite Vi's ability to push against Tao, she had yet to land a single blow on the cyborg assassin.

"Your technique is unrefined. Sloppy!" Tao finally snapped his arm up to block one of her fists with his forearm. Vi moved to the side, aiming her barrel around the cyborg's arm, and right at his alarmed face. As soon as she fired, Tao jerked his head out of the line of fire. "Pitiful!" Tao ducked below Vi's arm and drove his elbow towards her midsection. Vi snapped her arm down, using the armored bracer on her forearm to absorb the blow of the impact that sent her flying back. The strike was powerful enough to even crack the durable armor, not to mention that he nearly broke Vi's arm. The cyborg stood erect and put his hands behind his back once again as his expressionless eyes gazed down at the motionless soldier who lied on the ground. "You're not without potential however...you, and the rest of the Resistance could join the Red Ribbon Army you know? Enhancing your natural talents with certain...modifications, you could even be a match for—,"

Vi snapped up and fired a blast straight at Tao's face. The assassin effortlessly deflected the energy blast with blinding speed. Tao smiled at Vi's look of frustration. "Don't act so disgruntled, child. After all, your family has worked for the Red Ribbon Army before."

The purple haired soldier shook her head as she stood up to face off against Tao. "Again, you do a lot of talking."

Tao smirked as he prepared to begin his attack. However, an muffled explosion that shook the ground stopped the cyborg in his tracks. Even Vi was concerned, and confused, by the blast. That was until she and Tao noted that the drones stopped firing all at once and began powering down.

"Wh-what the hell?! What's going on?!"

Vi took her opening against Tao while he was concerned with his sudden lack of an army. She began to unleash a barrage of laser fire into the cyborg. Tao was defenseless as the blasters tore holes throughout his body. When Vi finished, the cyborg fell to the ground, his form crippled and broken, mouth hanging open in agony.

Vi held the smoking barrels up to her lips and blew on them with a cocky smirk on her face. "Oh, sorry, were you busy with something?" Tao made no response as his body sparked and twitched occasionally.

"Master Tao!" Bon stormed past Vi and knelt down next to the man. "The drones, they—we're—,"

"Fucked?" The cyborg bull turned sharply as he saw the Resistance's Boss, Videl, and several other soldiers with more arriving to secure the Red Ribbon Army's remaining leadership. "Yeah, I'd say you're fucked too."

Bon scowled furiously, ready to go down swinging. Launch, Vi, and the other Resistance soldiers took aim. Even with his cyborg enhancements, Bon wouldn't get far with so many guns on him. From the former General's feet, Tao started laughing. All eyes turned to the broken cyborg, who tucked his chin down to stare at Vi.

"Well...we can all go to hell together then!" The mad cyborg howled with laughter. The Resistance failed to understand Tao's threat, but Bon knew what his master meant.

"W-wait, sir! Y-you can't! What about the future of the Red Ribbon Army?!"

"THERE IS NO ARMY YOU FOOL! I-if I'm going to die, then I'll take us all down with the bomb inside my body!" The Resistance froze in terror at Tao's proclamation. The assassin laughed louder as he turned his gaze to his enemies. "Go ahead! Shoot me! Detonate the bomb prematurely! I'll see you all on the other side!" Tao laughed to the sky in triumph. Bon quickly threw himself on Tao's body. The bull's weight thankfully cut the assassin's laughter short. "Wh-what the hell are you doing?!"

"All of you run!" Bon shouted. "I'll take as much of the blast as I can!"

Tao grinned cruelly at his traitorous subordinate. "I hope they can run fast! The bomb in my chest was designed to destroy the Devil's Pair! You think your fat, worthless corpse can—," Tao was once again cut short as something pierced through his stomach. He didn't notice, or even register that there was now a third figure standing above Bon, who ran both cyborgs through with a single attack.

The Resistance was once again stiff with terror at the new arrival. The...monster.

The green skinned freak pulled its arm-length claw out of Bon and Tao, retracting it back into its forearm. It kicked Bon's lifeless corpse off of Tao and stared down at the assassin with slit pupils, and detached coldness that caused the once legendary Tao to quake with terror. The monster wrapped its three fingered hand over Tao's mouth, nearly crushing his jaw with a vice-like grip. It whipped around quickly and threw Tao straight upward, nearly a mile into the air. The assassin went screaming before a massive explosion blew him apart from the inside out.

Nobody in the Resistance managed to take their eyes off the monster in front of them, even as the giant smoke cloud from Tao's explosion blocked out the light. It was gruesome just to look at. Its body was a mix of light and dark green, decorated with black spots all over, with a sharp contrast of orange around its mouth, the back of its head, midsection, and groin. Its legs were double jointed, with three clawed toes on its feet, like a predatory bird. The claws on its forearms stuck out only a bit, but they were still long enough to run through two cyborgs. Behind the monster were a pair of green wings, and a tail that idly twisted around like a snake, with a dangerous looking stinger at the end. Perhaps the monster's most unnerving feature was how starved it looked.

The monster's slit pupils moved from the sky to the nearest Resistance soldier. The poor soldier stepped away, visibly frightened by the sudden attention from the monster.

"Well," it spoke as its mouth pulled back in a twisted smile. "It's been quite some time before I've had such a large meal. I won't spoil my appetite...much."

It disappeared from sight, only to reappear in front of the soldier. With a twisted laugh, the monster's stinger drove straight through the Resistance soldier's armor effortlessly. The other soldiers nearby stumbled away, part in due to the monster's speed, and part due to the fact that one of their comrades had been ran through.

But that was only the beginning of the horror.

The boy screamed out in agony, but his skin began to pale, sag, and wither, as if he were aging rapidly. This didn't stop, but the boy's screams soon did as his figure literally seemed to melt from the inside out. When all was said and done, there was nothing left of the soldier, except his clothes and space armor.

The monster chuckled and turned around to face the other petrified members of the Resistance. "Don't worry too much about your comrade...you'll all be joining him soon—AS APART OF ME!"

Before the monster could charge, several hunter drones fell on it from above. The monster let out a startled, angry growl as five of the robotic hunters piled on top of him, with more jumping off from the balcony above. The monster flared a translucent aura around itself, projecting enough force to throw the drones on its back into opposite directions. It disappeared and ended up behind the Resistance lines with a calm, critical eye of the situation. That was until it heard the sound of more weapons being primed behind it.

The creature vanished again, this time hovering in the air as its predatory eyes looked over the situation below. The Red Ribbon drones turned their guns skyward towards the monster and began firing. The creature hissed and swooped out of the line of fire. It would be more annoying to deal with the drones, but the increased numbers hardly did anything to stop it from wanting its human prey.

Then it felt an approaching power level. One it recognized, but never confronted. The monster scowled before he flared his aura and fled the scene quickly.

The Resistance was utterly dumbfounded by what had happened. When the drones turned back at them, the soldiers couldn't raise their weapons fast enough.

"Waaaaaaiiittt!" Launch and Videl were the ones who looked up to the second most shocking thing they had seen that day. Hercule stood on the edge of the overlook where Tao and Bon were standing, but the former champion had two heavy mechs flanking him, unharmed. "They're on our side! The Overseer reprogrammed them!"

That was a conversation that Launch was going to have with Bulma during their next talk. But Hercule's words seemed to be true. The Resistance did not lower their weapons on the drones, even though their new robotic companions yet to raise their weapons on the humans.

Launch finally decided to give the order. "Stand down..." She didn't like it, but she trusted Bulma's technology. And Hercule seemed to be alright, despite having two heavies behind him. Not a moment too soon, Gohan and Trunks flew onto the scene from above and descended onto the ground. "This is...such a weird day..."

"Yeah...what's going on with the robots?"

Launch ran a hand through her heavy blonde locks and just shook her head. "I don't even know where to begin..." She looked at Trunks who was keeping his eyes on the drones. Gohan on the other hand seemed to be in high spirits, completely calm and at ease being surrounded by so many potential hostiles.

Launch looked past Gohan and saw a familiar aircraft approaching from the west. She recognized Bulma's ship anywhere. It was the only piece of equipment on the planet that looked brand new. "Good. Someone else can explain...this," she motioned to the new army of drones around them. "Gohan...there's something else going on. It's not the Androids and...I don't think it's anything to do with Cooler..."

"Something darker?" She only nodded at the description. Launch was still shaken by the monster's arrival. The most accurate way she could describe such a horror was just that. Something darker. Something much, much worse than they had ever faced before.

* * *

All three of them were knocked back by Android 20's lightning fast strikes. The Android's blows not only knocked the Armored Squadron senseless, but they also worked to divide the team up. 20 pushed forward at Salza with an open palm, and a red jewel gleaming in his hand.

Salza scowled bitterly as the hand came for him. However, before Android 20 could lock his grip on the Brench lieutenant, Dore wrapped both of his massive arms around the Android's arm. 20 turned his head and glared at the brute who was exerting all of his strength to hold the limb in place. Neiz rushed from the other side and swung his leg towards the Android's head. 20 lazily lifted up his arm and blocked the strike without even looking, and then used that same arm to drive his fist into Dore's face. The blow was more than enough to cause the brute to release the Android's arm as he was knocked senseless.

Android 20's eyes snapped back to Salza, who attempted to run him through with his arm wrapped in raw energy. He reached up and grabbed the blade with his bare hands, much to Salza's shock. The only reason 20's hand wasn't cut in half was due to the fact that the gem in his hand could absorb energy, as Salza soon discovered. 20 drove his knee into Salza's abdomen, causing the lieutenant to double over in pain with a choked cry. He didn't stop there however, quickly twisting and throwing Salza into Dore before the enraged brute could lunge at him. The Android then threw his fist back, slamming his knuckles into Neiz's snout, causing him to cry out in pain. Android 20 turned, grabbed the tall alien's arm, and then spun around to send him colliding into his other two comrades as well.

Android 20 waited while the trio of clustered aliens cursed and swore while trying to separate themselves to face off against the wrinkled robot again.

The Armored Squadron had been tossed around and battered like they were nothing. A fact which enraged them to no end. It was one thing to lose to a foe, it was another thing for your opponent not to even try. Salza had already figured out that Android 20 was stalling, but for what he couldn't say.

This Android was completely different from even the likes of Android 3. Like her, he didn't waste a single move, he showed no openings, but was all to quick to exploit the openings that the Armored Squadron provided him. Either that, or he would simply make his own. He was much faster than Android 3, not to mention stronger. Android 3 was sharp, alert in her battle with the Armored Squadron. Android 20 didn't even seem to care.

"Android 19, what is that alert beacon," 20 suddenly asked. He waited, staring past the confused trio before his lips pulled up in a delighted smile. "So...he has revealed himself at last. Activate whatever Androids are ready. We cannot risk my creation being found by the Resistance too quickly. I shall deal with these pests."

They prepared themselves, but they were not ready. As soon as they dropped into a defensive guard, Android 20 appeared right in the center of their group, with his back to Salza. Dore turned first right as Android 20 nearly broke his jaw with a powerful elbow strike. Neiz was next as 20 slammed the side of his his hand into the Zaltian's face, shattering his scouter into pieces. Both Salza and Android 20 turned, just as Dore and Neiz were thrown in opposite directions through the air. They crashed through separate rock structures just as Android 20 grabbed Salza by the throat. The lieutenant tried desperately to get the hand locked around his throat off, and started panicking when he felt his energy being drained.

"This has been a waste of my time." Android 20 pulled Salza forward and sharply drove his knee into the alien's abdomen. Salza nearly blacked out from the pain that exploded through his midsection. The blow even shattered the armor around his chest, leaving it to hang on the Brench by only his shoulders and back. The wrinkled Android took his other hand and removed the scouter from Salza's head. "I won't be letting you off so easily next time..." Android 20 removed his knee from Salza's stomach and dropped the lieutenant to the ground.

Android 20 examined the scouter in his hand closely. His sensors alerted him to the presence of Androids 13, 14, 15, and 19 as they approached. "Only three?"

"You act like you need more to wrangle in 17 and 18," Android 13 said with his unmistakable accent. "You won't even need us when we find _it_ to hunt down the siblings."

"Perhaps not, but I won't leave this up to chance. I want absolute assurances that my victory, and that my creation's completion is achieved swiftly and decisively." He stared at the scouter in his grasp and smiled dryly. Victory over _all_ who stood in his way.

* * *

 **Woooooooooo new chapter. Filler-y? You betcha. Surprisingly though, this was actually kind of fun to write.**

 **So, for the most part, this chapter was the final hoo-rah for the Resistance. They'll have more of a background/supporting role from here on out, because you've met the faces of your new villains. Android 20, 13, 10, 14, and 15, along with this TOTALLY NEW AND MYSTERIOUS MONSTER THAT-ah screw it, you all know it's Cell.**

 **So, remember that problem I mentioned in a previous chapter about wanting, oh-so desperately, to include the PTO soldiers I created for the backstory to Frieza and Cold's invasion? Well, I found a way to incorporate them. By editing Cell. Because hey, if a bunch of aliens show up and they're knocking around what you would have thought were the strongest fighters in the universe, you'd more than likely take some of their DNA as well. So, who are these mysterious aliens? How is Cell going to be different compared to his canon counterpart? The answer to these questions will be answered...right now.**

 **Cell's imperfect and semi-perfect forms are going to be altered to be more...mutant-y, while his Perfect Form is more than likely going to be just...well, his normal perfect self. No reason to improve on perfection after all. As for finding out what new genes Cell has been spliced with...well, I'll give you guys a small teaser for the next chapter. All will be revealed in the next chapter, when a certain King encounters a certain power hungry monster bent on perfection.**

 **Excited? I am~**

 **Thanks for reading this far and fueling my mad little addiction!**


	8. Chapter 8: Revelations

It was odd for them to gather in the meeting hall of the Red Ribbon Army. Though they used the room, and the table, nobody used the chairs that were labeled with the numbers of the Androids that served.

Gohan looked across the table, at Launch and Bulma. Trunks stood at his right side, and Hercule, further down on his left. Vi and Videl were also in the room, standing at the end of the table closest to the door. They had said nothing after Launch finished describing the...thing that attacked them. It was undoubtedly the same thing that Mister Popo warned Gohan about. Something that...swallowed a person whole. The remains of said soldier, his uniform and armor, were laid out on a table behind Bulma for her to study later. For now, the Resistance Overseer was busy combing through the Red Ribbon archives for _anything_ related to that creature.

The two most favorable options among the Resistance was a secret experiment unleashed by Android 9 as he fled, or something that Cooler brought with him. If Mister Popo hadn't explained to Gohan that this monster had been around for _years_ , he would have been inclined to believe the latter, if only out of convenient coincidences. But they did have an advantage over it compared to the Androids.

Gohan and Trunks sensed its energy when they approached the Red Territory.

"Anything?" Launch finally asked as Bulma typed away.

"Lots of useful data, but nothing concerning...whatever it was you guys saw." Gohan recognized the look on Bulma's face. She was an egghead, and once upon a time a bit flaky, but he knew that Bulma would not get distracted with idle information, despite her curious interest. She did find something, even if it wasn't directly tied to the mystery monster.

"Want to fill us in on whatever theory you're working on then?" Gohan asked.

Bulma cracked a smile before she took her glasses off her face. "According to these reports, Android 1 was one of Gero's earliest and most ambitious experiments. He was attempting to copy Doctor Wheelo's formula of creating a bio-warrior. However, Gero wasn't able to fully perfect Android 1's body with its ability to absorb and store energy. Like the rest of his Androids, when he tried to upgrade them and increase their power, it just meant that they would burn through it faster. Android 1 was something of an exception, as he could constantly absorb power to replenish his reserves. But, years later, he needed more and more to keep his power up.

"Gero tried to compensate for this shortcoming by allowing Android 1 to...absorb the other Androids in order to complete the process he was trying to make. But it looks like the test results for that just burned through their energy even faster than he predicted. And it would have made the resulting fusion very unstable..."

"And they're dead now," Launch stated. "Why are you explaining to us how they work?"

"Because several years later, when Gero started on his second generation of Androids, after he brought back Commander Red, and salvaged Staff Officer Black's brain, he makes a reference to Android 1 as a 'prototype' for his ultimate creation. Which of course, is not in the Red Ribbon database. In fact, the only data on Gero's second generation of Androids are their numbers, all the way up to Android 19."

"That means there are at least nine more Androids somewhere," Trunks muttered.

"Most likely where Android 9 was headed..."

"Android 9 is actually dead." The room went silent and turned their attention to Bulma. The brilliant woman hit a button and pulled up a display on the large monitor at the head of the room. Androids 1 through 10 were listed and shown on the screen. With the exceptions of Androids 3 and 8, they were all listed as destroyed. "Unfortunately, the Red Ribbon database only has information on the first generation, and is capable of tracking...well, most of them."

"Most of them?" Launch asked.

"Androids 3 and 8 have...their programming evolved somehow to no longer transmit to the Red Ribbon mainframe. They literally broke the shackles off."

"She's not going to be a threat. Android 3 is smart enough to know that alone she can't hope to win against us or even Cooler and his men." Over the years, Gohan had held Android 3 in the same respect as Androids 1 and 2. She wasn't nearly as vicious, or even as powerful, but her most dangerous ability was her sharp mind. She wasn't stupid enough to try a frontal assault against any of her foes. "We need to focus on this new threat first. The last thing we need is for it to ambush us again, or become even stronger by absorbing Cooler or his men. As for the Devil's Pair, we're going to leave them in Cooler's hands for now."

"What about the other Androids?" Trunks asked. "They're still a threat too."

Gohan knew Trunks was right. As long as there were more Androids, there were more threats to the planet. He couldn't help but note that only a few days ago he had the Devil's Pair and the Red Ribbon Army to worry about. Now he had Cooler, this new monster, and more dormant Androids, not to mention the Devil's Pair were still a threat as long as they were alive. 17's body may have been crippled by Cooler, but Gohan doubted that physical injuries would hamper the Androids' endless supply of energy. Against anyone that wasn't a super power, 17 was still capable of killing thousands more.

"About that," Bulma said. "I suggest we take out the reserve Androids first." She typed in another command and brought up a map of the continent. All across the map there were blue dots that were glowing around the planet. Up in the northern mountains, Gohan noticed a single red dot. "The blue areas are where there are still drone fortifications. But, thanks to Hercule's help, the Red Ribbon drones are working for us now."

"I've been meaning to ask you...why bother?"

"Would you rather waste more lives and bullets destroying all of them, or do you want a second army to reinforce us and help us rebuild when this is all said and done?" Launch pressed her lips together in silence, but narrowed her eyes at Bulma. Gohan couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"That's Bulma for you. Always thinking ahead." He turned back to the screen and nodded his head. "What about that red spot?"

"That...is the last known location of Commander Red." Bulma magnified the image of the northern mountains to give them a rough map of the area. "Despite this being apart of the Red Territory, there is literally _no_ defenses or fortifications in this area. My guess is Android 9 was wanting to hide something. And if I were a betting woman..."

"A reserve supply of Androids," Gohan said. "But...why would he keep more Androids on ice rather than use them?"

"I will remind you that the Devil's Pair were apart of Gero's second generation." Gohan remained silent as he processed Bulma's retort. She had an uncanny ability to make everyone in the room feel like an idiot. If 17 and 18 couldn't be controlled, odds were good that none of the other Androids would be either. "There's not much on the second generation of Androids in the databanks that Commander Red kept, but I'm willing to bet if Doctor Gero had a laboratory up in these mountains that we could find out even more."

"If the Androids aren't already activated," Vi said, finally speaking up. She looked like she regretted her choice as all eyes turned to her. "I mean...it said Android 9 is dead while looking for Androids, right? Either the Armored Squadron got him or...the new generation of Androids are just as unstable as the Devil's Pair."

"That means, best case scenario, the Armored Squadron got him," Gohan said. "Worst case, we have a new threat." In either case, they had a target and a goal set. That only left the monster unaccounted for.

"I'll form search parties to head west and start searching for that...thing that attacked us," Launch announced. "If it absorbs living people, then we'll use the drones to make up the bulk of the scouting teams."

Gohan stared at Launch. She met his gaze in an unwavering determination. He couldn't talk her out of trying to go if he wanted, despite the risk. There was now a personal stake in it for the Resistance to hunt the monster down.

Launch turned her attention to Bulma. "As long as you're sure those Red Ribbon robots aren't going to turn on us."

"Do you know anyone smarter than me?" Nobody spoke up of course. "We'll need someone to stay behind and coordinate between teams. The hunter drones near the east are keeping an eye out for any enemies close to the refugees, but they'll need backup no matter who strolls in."

"I'll head over to the refugees and keep an eye on them too," Hercule said, volunteering for the job. "We can't just have them out there clueless like sitting ducks and wait for an enemy to show up."

"Good idea. Me, Gohan, and Trunks will head to Gero's lab. Launch will lead the search parties to look for that...thing." Bulma turned to Videl and Vi. "You two can hold down the fort, right?"

"Actually ma'am, I was thinking it would be better to bring the civilians back at Muscle Outpost here," Videl said. "It's more fortified, there's more supplies, and they won't have to deal with the cold. With yours and the Boss' permission, I would like a group of soldiers and drones to escort the people here."

"That's too big of a target for our enemies to attack," Gohan said. "I would recommend reinforcing Muscle Tower, and then we can move once Trunks and I finish up in the mountains."

"The safety of our people comes first," Launch said in agreement. Gohan could tell Videl was going to argue. He was extremely grateful that Launch jumped in before that happened. He hated arguing with Videl. "Already we have too many of our forces out here. Go back, reinforce Muscle Outpost and get everyone ready to move at a moment's notice. If we're attacked before then, take them through the caverns and hide. I don't want to lose anyone else to that monster..."

"Understood ma'am," Videl replied bitterly.

Launch turned to Vi with a smile. "That just leaves you to keep us in touch with each other. Think you can handle it kid?"

"Do you know anyone more reliable than me?" Vi asked, parroting Bulma's earlier statement. She got a laugh out of Vi's remark, and Launch smiled. "We'll hold things down here Boss. Just be careful if you're going to be hunting that thing..."

"You don't get to tell your boss to be careful. Let's hurry up and go then everyone! The world ain't gonna save itself!"

* * *

Gohan and Trunks took off ahead of Bulma towards the mountains to the north. "Just when things start looking up for us, eh Trunks?" No response. Gohan looked back over his shoulder and saw Trunks giving him that accusatory glare. The hero only blinked his confusion back at his ward.

"When were you going to tell me my mother was the Overseer for the Resistance?!"

Gohan's eyes widened in shock. Trunks hardened his scowl as he waited for an answer. "Did...you not know?" Gohan thought, if only for a moment, he saw Trunks' hair change from purple to gold as he screamed.

"NO! Who else knew my mom was apart of the Resistance!?" Gohan just smirked, which made Trunks even more furious. "What?!"

"You don't see just a _bit_ of hypocrisy there?"

"Hypocrisy?!"

"Trunks, she's your mother." His anger waned when Gohan pointed that fact out. "She's just like everyone else on the planet. We're all just...trying to stay alive by working together. How many times did you run away before she finally quit trying to stop you?"

The young demi-Saiyan turned his head away, still furious. "Fine! I get it, okay? That still doesn't excuse the fact that nobody told me!"

Gohan knew the reason why. Bulma asked him not to tell Trunks for exactly one reason. He had his father's temper. Gohan still wasn't entirely sure which angry parent Trunks took more after honestly. They were both terrifying in his eyes.

* * *

The hunt had not stopped all throughout the night. 18 kept her eyes on Cooler, who never slept through his search. Why did they have to be stuck with the alien that never slept?

17 was a different story on the other hand. Since their 'incident' with Doctor Gero, the siblings never needed sleep. It was just a lazy luxury that they could indulge in whenever they wanted. In 17's condition, it was more of a need. He was still sitting with his back against the wall, head slightly tilted to the side and his eyes closed. For the first time in awhile, 17 almost looked peaceful. Human.

18 shook her head. They were human. They were just kidnapped and experimented on by a psychotic old man with a grudge and too much free time on his hands. They were orphans, street punks, criminals, and victims, all thanks to an unfair world ready to punish them for being born unlucky. The world had taken everything from them since the day they were born. When they were given the power to fight back, they reigned unopposed for years.

Now they were being hunted by a crazed space king with a grudge and too much free time.

They just had to get to Gero's lab. She could figure out how to fix up 17, or that stupid computer Gero worked on could do the job. Once 17 was back in fighting shape, they could take down the Lizard King and then take out Gohan once and for all as well. No more chances, no more games.

It was time for the Devil's Pair to get serious.

* * *

Hours of searching with nothing to show for it. Cooler's temper had moved from wanting to destroy the planet to rationalizing his being there. The echoes of his family had stopped though, but his frustrations remained.

The Arcosian didn't need sleep, at least not in the sense that most creatures needed it. A few short hours were needed on average, and it was only necessary for their bodies to rest. Their minds stayed alert, attentive. With Cooler's capability to sense energy, it meant that even on the battlefield he would be hard to ambush. There were stamina boosters back on the ship that would help him stay awake too, if need be, but the tyrant had already passed his moment of idle stillness.

And even then, the Androids were still gone.

He couldn't sense them. He had no way of tracking them, and he had been searching the entire mountain region. The option to just level the mountains was always a viable choice, but he wanted to see the Androids die with his own eyes.

And he would.

He thought of his men, and their prolonged absence ever since their battle with the Red Ribbon Army. The Armored Squadron should have reported back to Cooler. They had been gone far too long. Cooler lost track of their energy signature during his fight with the Androids. If the Super Saiyan had gotten to them, there was little chance that they would escape. It certainly would hinder Cooler when he would face the forces of Earth. With the Resistance, and the little miniature terror that Gohan had under his sleeve, they gave the Super Saiyan a tactile advantage.

He had hoped that the Armored Squadron would balance the scale. But with his transformation, Cooler could easily eradicate the dwindling populace of such a sparse world, and kill the Super Saiyan on his own.

Though destroying Earth would be a waste. Despite a significant portion of the planet being conquered by the Red Ribbon Army, it was a bountiful, fertile world. It would be useful as a planet to grow his resources, or to hold reserve forces. It was out of the way from most PTO controlled space, but the Empire would expand, and grow. Leaving the planet on its own for a few years only to return could prove fruitful. Uninhabited worlds grew the best resources. And using the graveyard of his family, and his enemies was almost too delightfully twisted for words.

At least, what Cooler presumed to be his family's graveyard. He sensed something that raised doubts on that matter.

The spike of energy he felt was faint, but unmistakable. It sat there, lingering on the fringes of Cooler's senses. It was impossible.

Frieza?

The signature vanished in an instant. Cooler snapped his head around, staring off into the direction he felt his brother's energy. There was...something more to it. Not just his brother, but he sensed his father as well.

He had to be going crazy. Voices were one thing, but his senses had never betrayed him. He sensed _something_ there. Something familiar to his brother, and his father. It had to be a mistake. Frieza and Cold were dead. It could even be the Androids playing some sort of game with him. But how could they with no life energy for Cooler to detect?

Cooler tightened his fists as he tried to reach out further with his senses. He narrowed the field of focus to that direction he felt the energy, and reached as far as his senses would allow him.

It was there.

He felt...whatever it was still sitting there. When he focused, he detected the unmistakable energy signature of his brother, and father, but there was more. A horrified mass of different energies all stuffed together in one source. Cooler wasn't sure how such a being could exist, but he knew he could not deny that it was _something_.

The Androids could wait. After seeing what happened to Frieza's cybernetic remains with Android 2, Cooler would not allow any further transgressions of his family's noble blood to be used by lesser beings. His aura exploded around him, and the tyrant raced off toward the power he sensed.

It started to move in the opposite direction.

* * *

18 wasn't sure what to think of the fact that Cooler took off like a bat out of hell the other way. All she knew is that he was quite literally gone within seconds. It was the only chance they might have to keep pushing north to Gero's lab. But she wasn't reckless.

She picked up her brother and threw him on her back with his chin resting on her shoulder. She still never understood how 17 could literally sleep through anything, even after being forcibly turned into what they were. 18 took to the air, staying just above the tree line before taking off as quickly as she could while still keeping her eyes open.

* * *

Her eyes had remained open throughout the night. Although Android 3 did not require sleep, her hostess had been gracious enough to give her a spare bedroom in her own home, as well as a set of clothes to change into in the morning. It was all apart of her facade.

She waited until she heard her hostess moving around to finally get out of bed and get dressed. Android 3 had been given a sturdy pair of strapped leather boots, a dark pair of pants that were a little too long for her, a black shirt, and a jacket that matched the pants in both color and size. On top of the neatly folded pile was a pair of dark worker's gloves, and a simple hat.

She tucked the extra length of her pants into her boots, and her black shirt into her pants. Her reflection in the mirror gave 3 some pause. She had never viewed herself as anything but an Android. But wearing ordinary clothes, she almost looked human. She did look human. It was something that she welcomed, despite the unnerving nature of the abnormal.

She left the bedroom and entered the kitchen. The hostess smiled when 3 walked in. "Good morning dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," she lied. "Thank you for your hospitality ma'am."

The woman's smile somehow became even brighter. 3 gave an awkward smile in return as the hostess returned to her cooking. Portraying emotions was tiring. How humans did it constantly was beyond her capability to understand.

"I woke up late this morning, so breakfast may have to wait."

A fact that obviously did not bother the redheaded Android. "In that case, is there any work you would like for me to do?" The woman looked rather surprised by the offer. Android 3 knew that hospitality was common for humans, and her hostess had been more than hospitable. Taking advantage of such hospitality would be considered rude. "The crops outside, I could harvest them while you make yourself breakfast."

"Nonsense! I would never think of asking a guest to do my work for me. Besides, my father is going to be home today. He may be old, but he enjoys that kind of work."

Android 3 listened as her hostess began chopping up vegetables. The problem with this brand of kindness was that she couldn't eat. If she did the chores she could at least delay the inevitable, or perhaps she could get lucky and her hostess would forget about it entirely. But she couldn't stay if she was forced to eat. There was no place for the food to go.

There were only two routes to take. Run or kill her. Killing would seal her fate as a monster for good, and she didn't want to murder any more. But she didn't want to run either.

The sound of a vehicle's engine prompted 3 to turn her head. "Oh, that's probably dad now."

The door opened to a man nearly four times 3's height, and several times larger. He was a mountain of a man, who made even Android 1 look frighteningly normal in terms of size alone. The man sported a grizzly beard, and a had with two ox horns on his head, and glasses sliding down his fat nose. Despite the overall imposing sight of the man, his eyes and smile towards his daughter reflected the utmost kindness.

"Chi-Chi, I'm home!" The walking mountain looked down in surprise at the unfamiliar face, but smiled at her nonetheless. "You didn't tell me we would have guests hon!" Android 3 gave pause. She knew that name, Chi-Chi. The bride of Son Goku. The mother of Gohan. She could only presume that the giant man was none other than the Ox-King.

"She was out wondering in the woods when I found her. Come to think of it...I don't think I even caught your name dear?"

She panicked. She never had any other title other than her designated number. Her mind worked quickly, frantically to solve the problem. "I...my name is Treet..." Her lie passed judging by the expressions on their faces. "Excuse me." She quickly moved passed the Ox-King and went outside.

Panic. That was something she wasn't use to. Emotions were not something a machine was supposed to have. Why was she experiencing it now?

She knew the answer, despite how improbable it was. She wanted to escape. Being an Android damned her once humanity found out the truth.

Did she regret her actions? Yes. Would regret be enough?

No. Humanity called for blood. Android 3 had spent years working for the Red Ribbon Army trying to conquer the world, to enslave or destroy humanity. They wouldn't care if she chose the rational course to save herself. They would likely see it as the coward's way out in the wake of her family's destruction.

She didn't want to run. But she had no other choice.

By the time Chi-Chi came out to check on her, Android 3 was already gone. On the run, once again. What other option was there for her? What other option was left for an Android on the run?

* * *

Studying the armor Cooler gave Launch and the other soldiers proved to be almost fruitless in the way of learning how the mysterious creature _drank_ a fully grown human being. There was no trace of the person who wore the armor, no sign of decay, or acidic compounds. Absolutely nothing. The best guess she could make was that the creature injected something into the victim, some sort of acid or hyperactive enzyme that broke down genetic material into something...liquid. Unfortunately, there was no real way to defend against something like that, other than to avoid the damn thing itself.

At least studying the armor itself helped Bulma with one improvement. While complicated, the process of making their battle armor was quite possible, especially not with all the toys and equipment left behind by the Red Ribbon Army. Her version of the armor wouldn't be exactly the same. Some of the materials that made up the armor even her scanners couldn't identify, which meant they weren't on Earth anywhere. But there were other elements closely related to them. They might not be as sturdy as the real deal, but they would still be stronger and more flexible than anything else the soldiers of Earth had worn in their lives.

As long as they survived what was to come.

Cooler, the Devil's Pair, and Android 9 were all threats until they were dealt with. And if Android 9 was successful in unleashing more Androids, that just made more problems.

Bulma opened up a secure line back to the Red Ribbon base. Vi answered. _"Y'ello?"_

"I'm sending some data over to you, along with instructions on what I want you to do."

" _Okay...what is all this stuff?"_

"It's the best I can do when studying this armor," Bulma answered. "All you've got to do is enter the request to craft these into the computer and send it to the drones working in the factories."

" _Holy...so we'll have enough armor for everyone to wear?"_

She almost didn't want to tell Vi that it would be weaker than the armor Cooler gave them. The excitement in her voice was almost too much to disappoint. "Just start making as many as you can. We're coming up close to the mountains, so we'll know for certain if Android 9 found more Androids or not."

" _Alright, you got it. Be careful out there Overseer."_

Bulma smiled and closed the connection. Unlike Launch, she was nowhere close to being accustomed to her title. A title ironically given to her thanks to Launch. All the same, she did enjoy the respect she got out from the soldiers for her work. She had saved their lives on more than one occasion from behind the scenes. They had a much more difficult task though. They had to fight the threat head on.

She lifted her head when something was detected on her radar. Bulma ran back to the cockpit and saw Gohan and Trunks descend down into a clearing. She tried to see what they were moving towards as she stopped her ship and let it hover in the air. "What in the...what did those boys find now...?"

* * *

"That's..." Gohan knelt down next to the unconscious blue skinned lieutenant of Cooler's Armored Squadron. "Is he...?" There was barely a flicker of life left in him. There was no way Android 9 was capable of this.

"He's alive, barely. The others can't be too far behind. Try to find them." Trunks scowled at the back of his mentor's head. Gohan turned and met the boy's fierce gaze. "Now Trunks." The teen made a disgusted noise before he drifted up into the sky to look for the other two.

Gohan lifted the soldier into his arms and gently floated up towards Bulma's ship. By the time he made it up there, the cabin door opened. Bulma saw the broken man and then at Gohan. She already came to the same conclusion. More Androids.

"Shit," she swore.

"Yeah...this just got a lot worse."

Bulma stepped aside to allow Gohan to step into the ship. He placed the unconscious lieutenant on the nearest flat surface. "It's unlikely that the Androids would have stuck around. Even 9 wouldn't be that stupid."

"It's not like him to leave survivors either," Gohan added. The attack had to have happened after Android 9's apparent destruction. Gohan saw the bruise marks around Salza's neck. Only one hand, not two, signifying incredible strength. Someone who left marks like that could have easily killed him if they wanted to. If Androids did in fact hit the Armored Squadron, they left them alive by their own choosing. More rebellious models like the Devil's Pair. "After we get the other two, we'll head to Gero's lab, and send word to everyone to be on alert. Trunks and I are going to look for the other Androids."

"I really wish you'd ask before volunteering my son for a suicide mission." Bulma just sighed, knowing that her answer wouldn't change facts. They needed to work together, as much as Gohan himself hated to admit. "What about them?"

It was Gohan's turn to sigh. "Well...Mister Popo grew plenty of Senzu Beans and...I know they serve Cooler, but they're the only ones who have any idea what we're up against." He turned around to Bulma. "Besides, it's not like they're much of a threat to me anyway." Bulma nodded, trusting Gohan's judgment. He knew it was reckless, possibly even stupid to trust them. But if they were anything like Cooler, perhaps they could be reasoned with, even for a little while.

He pulled out the bag of Senzu Beans and pulled one out between his thumb and forefinger. He dropped the bean in Salza's mouth, and moved the lieutenant's jaw to help him chew it up. Whatever little energy crunching the bean gave him allowed Salza to swallow the remains on his own.

When he awoke, his eyes sprouted open in shock. Salza sat up quickly, only for Gohan to grab his shoulder to keep him in place. The soldier turned sharply with a fierce glare at whoever dared to touch him. When he saw Gohan, the shock returned to his face.

"Oh...shit..."

"Calm down," Gohan said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Unless you do something stupid, in which case I'll be forced to hurt you." Salza's face was a mixture of fear and worry, but he complied with a silent nod. Gohan wasn't even sure if the lieutenant noticed Bulma in the room or not, but at least he made his point clear. "The person who did this to you..." A flicker of recognition crossed Salza's face.

"Anozher Android," he answered. A feeling of dread filled the room. Salza may not have been as strong as his master, or a Super Saiyan, but Gohan could sense his strength. Any Android that could turn him into a broken, bloody mess was something to watch out for. "Zhere...it was talking to anozher one I zhink..."

"So there are two more Androids," Bulma asked. Salza shook his head without even looking up at her.

"It told zhe ozher one to...activate whatever Androids were ready...zhen it—," Salza quickly rose from his seat, fast enough to startle even Gohan. "Dore and Neiz! Where are zhey?!"

"Right here," a strained voice answered. They all turned to see Trunks floating outside the aircraft with a green, muscular mass thrown over his shoulder and a towering crimson Zaltian hanging limp in his hand. "These guys are really heavy...!" Gohan quickly crossed the room and took Neiz out of Trunks' hands. When he turned, Salza was standing there to help take his tallest comrade. He allowed Salza to take him before grabbed Dore and pulled him in. Trunks entered the aircraft next and glared daggers at Salza. "Gohan what's going on?"

"There are more Androids, Trunks, so spare me the lecture." There was a sharp edge to Gohan's tone that Trunks had never had directed at him before. Gohan looked at Salza and handed him a Senzu Bean. "Here. This is what brought you back on your feet." Salza took the bean in his gloved hand and nodded before placing it in Neiz's mouth. "What are the chances you could convince your boss to work with us long enough to destroy the Androids?"

Salza's brow knotted at the question. "Knowing my lord...zhat is somezhing I would like to know myself..."

* * *

Cooler followed the energy signature to a set of city ruins before it dropped below what he could sense. He descended from the sky and landed down in the middle of the street. The buildings had long since been destroyed and abandoned, likely a result of the Android's attack. The rusted, metal skeletons of various vehicles marked the sight as a graveyard, empty and forgotten.

He walked through the roads silently, keeping his senses sharp. Something was hiding, waiting, watching the tyrant from the shadows. His eyes shifted from one side of his vision to the next, careful not to miss a single detail.

"Where are you?" The dead city did not answer.

He was being watched. Cooler stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. Staring back at him was a familiar creature with a wild mane of blonde hair. Oddly enough, there was a small squadron of Red Ribbon drones standing behind the Resistance Boss. Their weapons were aimed at Cooler, but they did not fire. He stared back at the impassively. There was a mild curiosity as to why the drones were following the leader of the Resistance, but Cooler had more pressing matters to worry about.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Did you kill the Devil's Pair...?"

"You know, it isn't wise to talk to your enemy," Cooler replied.

The Boss only huffed as she lowered the blaster Cooler gave her. "I don't think you would let them be unless you destroyed them, or unless something else grabbed your attention." His eyes moved back to her. The Boss smiled and tilted her head to one side. "I happen to be hunting a new menace. I feel like you aren't here in an empty city with me because you missed my charming personality."

"How shrewd." Cooler couldn't help but smile again. She was openly playing him now, despite their last alliance ended with both parties using one another. The Resistance hid the truth of the last remaining Super Saiyan, and in turn Cooler used their lives to draw his target out. "Then tell me, what exactly are we searching for?"

"I wish I could tell you. This...thing is some sort of weird alien monster. Big head, wings, giant sword-like claws on its arms, legs like an insect. The deadliest thing about it is...it has this tail." Her tone dropped and her eyes darkened as she recalled the memory. "It...I don't know how else to describe it, but I watched it... _drink_ someone."

"It _drank_ someone?" Cooler laughed at the very idea. The scowl the Resistance leader gave him said she was anything but joking.

"Look, it stabbed one of my soldiers, liquefied him, and just...swallowed him up. I don't know how else to describe it!"

Regardless of her description, Cooler judged the creature as a danger. "What of the monkey? Did he sense anything strange about the creature?"

"I'm guessing by 'monkey' you mean Gohan? And no, he showed up right after the monster ran off." He couldn't confirm then that he sensed his brother and father's powers then.

He wasn't crazy. There was something prowling around, at the very least. The Resistance's Boss proved that much.

"So," she said, "since we're hunting the same thing, again...how about a temporary truce until we find out whatever it is we're dealing with?" Cooler narrowed his eyes dangerously on the human. Her smirk held in the wake of his anger. "Still doesn't make us friends."

Cooler stared at her in silence while considering her proposal. After several seconds passed, he finally cracked a smile mimicking her own. "Such a pity your had to be a human. You remind me of a General of mine."

"Well I like to think I'm at least a step or two above cold blooded killer."

The tyrant gave a thoughtful hum before he turned his back on the woman and continued his trek down the road. The Boss and her drones fell in line behind him, but they gave the King a wide berth. They were smart not to trust him.

"The drones?" he asked, mildly curious.

"Turns out one of our eggheads can rewrite their programming to help humans instead of kill them," she said. "All she needed was access to their main fortress." The basic drone army for the Red Ribbons was impressive, by the meager standards of Earth's inhabitants. Being able to reprogram them all overnight was even more impressive. "It really saved our asses when we took over the rest of the Red Territory."

Cooler stopped and turned to the woman. "Your forces managed to reclaim that entire area?"

"Probably wouldn't have been as easy without your gear," she replied.

The armor and weaponry would have easily given them an edge over ordinary drones, but with their small numbers, the Resistance should not have been able to overcome such an overwhelming force on their own. Even more impressive still. Perhaps there was more to the people of Earth than met the eye. An entire garrison of them equipped with armor and blasters would make an excellent army of foot soldiers. And if the Red Ribbon's reports on the Z Fighters were any indication, there was always room for improvement as a low level class soldier.

The Super Saiyan would never allow his people to be recruited into slavery however. That would work out perfectly with Cooler's original plan.

Cooler turned away and started walking again. He heard the woman's combat boots and the mechanical footsteps of the drones follow several paces behind him. "So let me ask you something. Why are you doing all of this?"

"All of what?"

"This! You're the head of some gigantic empire or organization or whatever, and you came all the way to Earth to collect on a debt that had been sitting around for thirteen years? Why do you even care?"

"I wouldn't expect the likes of you to understand."

"I know enough to realize you don't give a shit about your family. I know enough to see that you're a lot smarter than either of them, or at least smart enough to swallow your pride."

 _How much better can you be? You can't kill a Super Saiyan either..._

"You and your Resistance were just a means to an end for my goals," Cooler snapped.

"And what about putting off your revenge against Gohan to destroy the Androids?"

The Earth-woman's pressing was starting to irritate Cooler. "Another mean to a different end. I still intend to kill the Super Saiyan."

"And yet, he's still alive."

The tyrant gave a cold chuckle. "You're quite confident that I won't follow through on my promise to kill him."

She returned his soft laughter. "You might, you might not. But I know one thing at least. You're more honorable than you'd like us to think." Cooler shook his head and returned his focus to the area around them. "Your family would have died fighting the Androids before making any sort of peace or temporary truce with us, or with Gohan. You're smart enough to know when there's a bigger threat. Just like with this thing."

 _We would have died before disgracing our family with this vermin._

He stopped and turned around to face her. She stopped with the drones behind her. "Do you truly believe that you can talk me out of this by appealing to my honor? Do you truly think I will show you any mercy?"

The Boss' smile widened. "What would you be if not merciful?"

Empress Arctiza's words caused Cooler to scowl. Father and Frieza's disappointment he could bare, he was use to it. His mother's disappointment was something that stung much deeper.

 _Aw, is little baby Cooler going to cry to mommy?_

"Look, if I thought you couldn't be reasoned with, I wouldn't try to. But you know you don't have to do this." Cooler didn't reply. "You want to be the strongest in the universe? You've been here for less than a week, and you've done what Goku, what Gohan couldn't do. Isn't that enough to prove you're the strongest in the universe or whatever?"

"It's about more than that. A human like you wouldn't understand."

She stormed up and circled around in front of his path. Cooler scowled fiercely at her, and the equally furious gaze she shot back at him.

"So it's about blood then? You think I don't understand? I've been fighting these fucking Androids for over a _decade_! I've lost friends, comrades, people who were my family! People I actually gave a damn about!" She stepped forward, pointing her finger in the tyrant's face, despite the threat she face in doing so. Cooler was, more than anything, shocked by her sudden boldness. "Wanting revenge for your family is one thing, but Goku is dead! The people of Earth had nothing to do with their deaths, Gohan had nothing to do with their deaths! And I'll be damned if I let you destroy everyone left who I care about, people who know that having a true sense of honor, of pride isn't the same as having your head up your ass! You want to be better than your family? You want to be better than Goku? Then fucking prove it! Just—,"

The Boss' body shook and her eyes sprouted open when Cooler sensed it. That foul energy. The human stood there, shock written on her face as it was Cooler's. A cruel chuckle echoed behind the Boss as she slowly reached out with a trembling, withering hand. She started to decay rapidly before Cooler's very eyes, her skin sagging and her flesh seemingly melting.

"S...survive..."

She gave a final, choked sound before the last bit of her form was swallowed up by the figure now standing before Cooler. The grotesque creature was tall, limber, and starved. Its appearance was starved, and reminded Cooler vaguely of an Ankokan, albeit heavily mutated. Even the bone blade peaking out from the creature's arms, down to the double jointed, predatory legs. The wings, tail, head, and body were all vastly different from a normal Ankokan however.

The tail that destroyed the Resistance's leader pulled away and lingered behind the monster. Now that Cooler was face-to-face with it, there was no mistake. It had his father and Frieza's powers. But there was more, now that Cooler was closer. So many familiar energy signatures, including one that matched the creature's appearance.

The monster laughed as Cooler glared furiously at it. "Sorry about that. I couldn't stand another minute of her prattling." He did not care that the Resistance leader was dead. Cooler was more horrified by her manner of death. Never before had he witnessed something so vile. His focus was now solely on the monster in front of him. "I hope you don't mind too much...brother."

Cooler charged the monster with his fist drawn back. It disappeared right as he struck, leaving the King dumbfounded. An explosion drew Cooler's attention behind, where the monster walked through a wall of fire and smoke, all that remained of the woman's drones. Again, the creature laughed before stopping just outside the fire's reach.

"What...what are you!?"

"Isn't it obvious?" It gave another dry laugh before it raised one of its three bony, pointed fingers at Cooler. "No...I suppose not..." In the blink of an eye, a narrow, purple beam shot from the creature's fingertip. Cooler swatted the attack aside with the back of his hand, redirecting it to an already crumbling structure. The attack cut through the stone like butter, leaving a pin sized hole in the wall.

It laughed again as the frustration on Cooler's face grew. He would recognize the family's signature attack anywhere. How this creature managed to copy it was a mystery. Cooler's aura flared to life, causing the monster's laughter to stop. The King charged a powerful bomb in the palm of his hand and then hurled it forward with an enraged cry. The glowing orb raced towards the beast, who licked his lips eagerly.

What happened next proved that it was at least part Ankokan. The monster opened its mouth up wide and caught the energy ball in its mouth, gulping it down with gluttonous delight. Its stomach swelled a bit and then descended quickly. It gave a satisfied sigh and let out another twisted laugh.

Cooler's anger had waned to something more composed. He watched the creature carefully, noting each familiar power he sensed, as well as the ones he didn't recognize. The powers he did recognize were the forces that came to Earth all those years ago under his father's banner. King Cold, Frieza, the Royal Guard, the King's Generals, and the Nudoru Unit. Cooler recognized each of them. This creature had them all.

"I'll say again, monster...what are you?"

It smiled and straightened itself into a hunched over stance, like a predator ready to pounce. "Hm...a fair question." Rather than answer however, the monster charged forward.

Cooler had no time to react, before the monster's three fingered fist came crashing across his face. He shot across the clearing before crashing through a pile of rubble. Cooler twisted himself around, bringing himself upright and to a stop. He sensed the monster behind him. It was too fast for him to react to before he slammed its tri-toed foot into his spine. Cooler's back arched under the blow, causing him to howl out in agony. The blow sent him straight into the ground, tearing across the dirt before he stopped at the end of the newly formed trench.

He was quick to turn and fire an anger filled blast at the monster. A burst of flames wrapped around it, for only a second before it vanished. Cooler's eyes widened before a flaming fist crashed into his jaw, burying him into the ground again. He couldn't delay, and quickly blasted off into the sky. Carya's unmistakable flaming aura was a dangerous offensive technique.

Cooler saw the monster charge him with that fiery aura wrapped around him, unleashing a pair of piercing beams from his scarlet eyes. The creature didn't stop its blitz. Its eyes widened, where Cooler saw a faint sparkle before his beams were deflected by an invisible, telekinetic force. He managed to dodge the creature's next strike by pulling his body to the side, and managed to knock that power up of its out with a spinning elbow to the face. The monster howled in pain, before Cooler sent it crashing to the ground with a spinning heel to the top of its head.

As the monster crashed into a barren wall, Cooler watched carefully. Shira, the Ankokan monster of the Nudoru Unit, General Carya's Burning Shoot power up, and telekinetic power that could rival even the rogue Kanassan of the Nudoru Unit, Reman. It had the abilities of the Planetary Trade Organization's finest, including its former leaders. But even in their prime, Cooler could best each of them separately. The monster would not be able to use all their talents at once at least.

Out from the rubble and dirt that buried the monster, a blindingly bright pink wave of energy shot up towards the King. Boston, Knight of the Royal Guard, his technique known as the Destroyer Cannon, a move that Recoome of the Ginyu Force would shamelessly steal later. Cooler caught the blast with one hand, but was pushed back through the air by its force. He struggled to hold the blast in place, eventually managing to stop it. With his other hand drawn back into a fist, Cooler punched the energy wave back down to its source.

That was when he saw two of the creatures in front of him.

One of them sneered and fired six purple lasers at him, one from each of its fingertips. The lasers started to criss cross in a complicated pattern, each one moving precisely and smoothly, all while avoiding any contact with the other as they closed in on Cooler. Commander Knight Pyrus' most unpredictable, and difficult to trace attacks, the Zig-Zag Maze. Cooler fell back and shifted his eyes to the second copy of the monster that followed after him. He knew this tactic of Commander Knight Pyrus and Knight Ringo's all too well.

Cooler could see the faint energy pulse around the second monster's hands. The Paralyzing Touch that Knight Ringo was infamous for. The King ducked below the monster's outstretched hand as it moved past him. It looked down to scowl at Cooler, before he brought the back of his head crashing into the monster's beak-mouth. It howled before the Zig-Zag Maze ran through its body, filling its body with holes.

The King's eyes flickered back forward as another copy of the monster charged at him. He rushed to meet the creature, despite its bone blades drawn. Cooler ducked below the closing strike that threatened to behead him. The monarch then threw his fist up and landed a vicious uppercut on the creature's chin.

As the monster soared higher into the sky, the second monster that was riddled with holes grappled Cooler from behind, wrapping its arms and legs firmly around the tyrant's body. It laughed and circled its tail around with the vicious stinger pointed at him. Knowing enough to see the danger, Cooler unleashed his full power in an explosive display. His aura burst around him, nearly searing the grotesque creature and effectively breaking its hold on him. Cooler turned around sharply and slammed his fist into the monster's jaw, sending it crashing to the ground.

His senses picked up the copy of the monster using Pyrus' attack charging forward. Cooler snapped his gaze up and pulled himself to the side as it threw a fist aimed for his chest. The monarch locked the creature's arm in a firm grip, and then drove his other fist straight into its face. It squawked out in pain as Cooler pulled its captured arm over his shoulder, and sent the second copy flying straight down towards the first.

The third monster that he sent into the air came down behind him. Cooler ducked as it swiped its blade, trying again to behead him. The monarch rolled forward, bringing his foot in an arc where his heel met the monster's chin. When he came back around, Cooler grabbed the creature's ankles and spun around in a second circle to send the last copy hurtling down towards the previous two. The King pulled his arm back and then threw his palm forward, unleashing an all powerful Kiai that slammed into the third monster.

The invisible blast hit the monster and slammed it into its other two copies. They crashed into the ground with tremendous force, causing all three of them to morph into one singular being.

Fission was not a technique that any of the PTO soldiers had, but the upside appeared to be that the copies were weaker than the original. An unusual technique likely belonging to one of the foreign powers his senses didn't recognize.

Cooler descended and landed across from the monster before letting his aura fade out. The green beast rose up to its feet and turned back to face the monarch. "I won't ask a third time," Cooler warned. "What are you..."

The monster smiled. Whether it was stalling, or if it just delighted in screwing with Cooler was a mystery. "I suppose the simplest answer would be...I was created to be the most powerful warrior in existence..." It relaxed in its hunched over form with a wicked smile on its face. "I'm sure you're familiar with my father...Doctor Gero?"

The King let out an agitated sigh. "Oh wonderful..." He remembered the name. The creator of the Red Ribbon Androids, of the Devil's Pair. Now the wretched human was responsible for the monstrosity in front of him. It was more grotesque than Android 1, or Meta Prime for that matter. "What about those powers? My family's Death Beam, and the powers of our soldiers?"

It chuckled darkly and licked its lips. Cooler wrinkled his nose with disgust at the foul creature. "You see, Doctor Gero's ultimate plan in my design was to create a single warrior, made up of the most powerful fighters in all the universe. All in order to defeat Goku."

It made sense now when it acquired the powers of the PTO's top brass. "When my family invaded..." The monster laughed at Cooler's revelation. Even beyond death, their father spoiling Frieza came back to bite him in the ass. The most powerful warriors in the universe, all sacrificed for Frieza's selfish whims. Now their powers were cobbled together in one sickening _thing_. "How though?"

"Doctor Gero's plan involved the genetics of each fighter," the monster explained as its tail writhed hungrily behind him. "He created microscopic nano drones, smaller than a common house fly, to steal samples from the greatest fighters in the universe. At first, there was only the Z Fighters, Son Goku and his allies..." Cooler's eyes sprouted in shock. The monster's smile deepened. "Then your family came...and more than doubled that gene pool for my powers."

It crossed its arms and gave a small, thoughtful hum. "Hm...I wasn't given a name on birth...I suppose all things considered, you can call me...Cell." Cooler's body was shaking, something which made Cell smile in his twisted way. "Awe, what's the matter? Do you realize how outclassed you are? How utterly hopeless it would be to challenge the ultimate fighter!" Cell chuckled, balling up and relaxing his fists eagerly. "You know...if you allowed yourself to become absorbed by me, the same way that little morsel was, you could be reunited with your family. You could be apart of true perfection! With your power, we would be unstoppable!"

Cooler's lips pulled up into a twisted smile of his own. Cell narrowed his eyes in confusion as the King started to laugh. For the first time since he arrived, the first time in a long time in fact, Cooler had a feeling of actual joy. His laughter traveled through the air, and eventually made Cell very upset.

"What's so funny!?"

Cooler's laughter continued for a moment, before he settled a grin on his dark lips. "You have the DNA of the strongest fighters in the universe, including Son Goku, my brother, and my father?"

"Yes...?"

Cooler was almost giddy with joy. "Then destroying you would prove that I am the strongest fighter, wouldn't it?"

Cell scowled at this before he threw his arms out with a deafening cry. A golden aura exploded around him, throwing dirt, debris and everything else clear from him. A single, dominating power rose above the others. It had traits of the others, but it was a twisted, foul sensation. Despite Cooler's confident grin, even he felt it like a weight at the pit of his stomach.

But he was not afraid.

The monster's power finally reached its limits, releasing an incredible shockwave that split the ground around both combatants. Golden lightning raced from his body to tear the earth apart. Cooler remained planted firmly during the entire display.

Cell's frame had bulked up, and certain parts of his body had become rougher, more reptilian and scaly in appearance. His face almost looked too small for his hulking appearance now. The transformation of the Elegrants. Knight Biwa from the Royal Guard, undoubtedly. Unlike most Elegrants, she never minded her Devilish Transformation.

Without a doubt, Cell's enhanced form gave him more power than Cooler.

* * *

Gohan froze with terror, as did Trunks. They both looked back and felt the horrible, dark power coming from the west. The Armored Squadron stared at the duo oddly after realizing that they were being looked past.

"What the hell are those monkeys staring at?" Dore muttered.

"G-G-Gohan...?"

"I feel it...and Cooler is there too..." The Armored Squadron quickly rose at the mention of their master.

"Lord Cooler? Where is he!?" Gohan didn't intend to ignore Salza's question. He was just horrified by the energy he was sensing. "Tell us where zhe hell he is! What's going on!?"

"I've got to go," Gohan stated. Both Trunks and Bulma looked back at him in shock. "Whatever that power is, if it's that monster, there's no way Cooler can beat it on his own! He's going to need help."

"And we will be zhe ones to help him," Salza declared. "We will not let our lord down again!" Gohan stared at the trio. They wouldn't stand a chance, but Gohan couldn't talk them out of coming, nor could he fully trust them.

"Fine, just try to keep up!" Gohan rushed to the rear exit and slammed the button to open the hatch. The Armored Squadron lined up behind him as they waited for the back to open. "Trunks, stay here with your mom! Bulma...don't do anything stupid!" The door opened and a rush of wind escaped from the aircraft. Gohan immediately flared his aura and shot off into the horizon with each member of the Armored Squadron behind him.

* * *

The earth rained down between them as Cell's golden aura raged around his bulkier form. "Now do you see? The true power I possess!? You don't stand a chance against me!" Cell laughed again, mad with his own impressive power.

Cooler continued to smirk before he folded his arms over his chest. "Tell me something, Cell, what do you know about Arcosian genetics?" Cell's brow raised up, curious as to what Cooler was playing at. "I'm assuming you know about our transformations, and the regressed stages in our family?"

"I'm aware of your family's history, yes," Cell replied with little patience. "I know everything about your race. Your strengths, your weaknesses." Cell's voice deepened as his smile grew, "I know everything about you, Cooler."

The King chuckled as he tapped into a reserve of untapped power. "I assure you monster," Cooler unfolded his arms, "you know nothing about me." He pulled that power forth, causing the ground to tremble below his feet. Cell seemed to sense this shift, as he took a hesitant step back. "As you know, I'm in the Arcosian's true form. Our lesser forms are made to repress this power, to control and hide our strength from the enemy." He clenched his fists hard as the power came surging through him. His muscles tightened and swelled over his body as a strained look came over the King's face. It wasn't long before he was grinning again. "But I transcended...I found another form, a Fourth Form beyond this one!"

"Wh-what?!" Cooler chuckled at Cell's nervous squawk. "Y-you're lying!"

"Oh? Let's find out then, SHALL WE?!"

Cooler drew out his dormant power, unleashing it in its full splendor. Cell's predatory eyes widened with fear as Cooler began to grow, his muscles expanding with his new form. The white shin guards expanded with his legs, as two dark blue gems grew from the white, bio armor material. The bio arm guards sprouted two gems as well, along with a fierce, sharp fin-like blade curving upward towards his elbows. His chest widened with the increased mass, causing the breast plate and shoulder guards to grow out, becoming almost hoops around his massive arms. Two spikes shot out from his back, curving in an upward angle. Finally, his head guard shifted and molded out into a carapace with a single blue bio-gem in the center, and four horns that stretched back, bearing some similarities to the headpiece that Cell sported.

In his new form, Cooler towered over Cell, who sensed the true depths of the King's power.

The weight of his body caused the ground itself to crumble beneath his feat. His aura cut through the air itself all around him.

* * *

The new power that exploded over the first caused Gohan to stop. It seemed like even the Armored Squadron could feel a change in the air itself.

Cooler's power had surpassed the monster's. Even Gohan doubted that he would have stood a chance against something so oppressive. With that power alone, Cooler had a shot against he Devil's Pair at full strength.

"I...guess I got lucky," Gohan murmured.

"Zh-zhat feeling...it is...?"

"If you can sense that, then it just shows how strong your boss is..." Gohan looked back at the Armored Squadron. Rather than arrogance or pride, he saw only fear and shock on their faces. "Too late to back down now boys." Gohan turned back toward the fight and took off quickly.

The Armored Squadron hesitated, but they would not falter. They followed after Gohan to find their master.

* * *

Trunks collapsed back into his seat. Bulma gave her son a sideways glance at the imprinted look of utter shock on his face. "Trunks...?" She carried worry in her voice. Worry that maybe Gohan fell into a trap, or that something happened with that monster. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

He was surprised she couldn't feel it. He was surprised that anyone couldn't feel _that_. A power so far away, so heavy that it pressed down on him even as the ship moved further and further away from the west.

"I..." Trunks tightened his fists as anger overwhelmed him. There was no chance Gohan could stand against those powers. Not alone. Even with Trunks, they were doomed. "Damn it! If only I could...!" His anger turned into frustration. "Why...why can't I turn into a Super Saiyan?!"

Bulma sighed as her son turned away. For all her proclaimed genius, she couldn't provide an answer to Trunks' question. They knew how to become a Super Saiyan, with Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan all having achieved it. Trunks just...had a road block.

Unfortunately, there was no time for her to be a mom. "Sweetie...we're here." Trunks looked out the front and saw a cavern that the coordinates led them to. Bulma turned to her son, who was already exiting the aircraft. Her eyes fell, letting a soft smile spread on her face in disappointment. "You're definitely your father's son..."

* * *

Cell growled in annoyance, while Cooler smiled. He had already won this battle. Cell just didn't know it yet.

The King flexed his hands, staring down at his form. "Ah," he said, his voice deep, regal, more like his father's. "It's been some time since I've entered this form." Cooler laughed and turned his red, pupiless eyes back to Cell. "You should feel privileged. I was going to save this for the Super Saiyan, but...well, you're now the first one to witness this form."

"Wh-what is that?! That form...what is that?!"

Cooler gave a dark, truly sinister chuckle. "It is the end for you, Cell." The tyrant's muscles tensed, veins rippling over his arms and legs as he started to call upon his true power. "You want to see the might of the ultimate fighter in the universe?! Then I will show you!" A massive purple aura exploded around the towering monarch, sending sharp lashes of wind out from him. The light of his aura blacked out their surroundings, causing the remains of the dead city of Ginger Town to crumble in his wake.

Cell's eyes were as wide as could be, filled with terror as he felt the King's power continue to rise. "Th-this is impossible!"

The King's dark lips pulled up into a savage smile. "First you will see, and then you will _DIE_!" A mask clasped over his mouth, as Cooler prepared for his most fateful battle.

* * *

 **BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM! Oh the second half of this chapter was soooo much better to write compared to the first half. Yes, because I was actually excited for the warm-up between Cell and Cooler.**

 **So yeah! I also get to use Cell to introduce all sorts of PTO baddies. Well, sorta. And to save you guys and gals a trip to the Dragon Ball wiki, here's a breakdown of the characters mentioned thus far. Shira the Ankokan, for those of you who don't remember bone swords out of the arm and eating light, its the same race as Yakon, Babidi's monster pet in the Buu saga. Carya, with the fire-infused aura with the Kaio-Ken-esc enhancements, same race as Pikkon. I just couldn't think of a name for their race (while Ankoku-seijin has an actual page on the DB wiki). Reman, the rogue Kanassan, the same race that Bardock and his crew wiped out. If you're wondering how/why there's a living Kanassan, his brief backstory is that he's the one who betrayed his people to the PTO. Boston, same race as Recoome, as was alluded (also he's named Boston because Recoome's name is a pun on cream...Boston Cream...ha? No? Okay.) Pyrus, Cui's race, Ringo, Appule's race (yes, mother frickin' Appule), I couldn't think of names for their races, and Biwa as an Elegrant is Zarbon's race, same as Suika as mentioned in previous chapters.**

 **The best part is, that's not even all the baddies Cell has energy from. There's more of them and more powers to come. Oh, and yes, they are all food themed names in some way or another. The Nudoru Unit has members with noodle related names. Cuz I'm so clever, hur hur hur.**

 **Now you might be wondering, 'Why the hell did you put so much thought into background characters who aren't even going to be apart of your story?' Well, to be honest, I kind of toyed with the idea of a prelude story to this, which would involve a retelling of the Garlic Junior saga, Frieza and Cold's invasion of Earth with warriors who actually do something/allow the Z Fighters to do something besides just sit there, the attack of the Red Ribbon Army, and the eventual downfall of Son Goku and the rest. As of right now it has...like a chapter and a half written, and I'm not really sure if I'll ever get around to actually writing that or what. But yeah, basically I made those background characters for another story, enjoyed the idea of them, figured Cell could use them as a soft intro to said baddies. I hate wasting ideas.**

 **Anyway, enough of that background crap. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter in its entirety (despite the drama, mild angsty teens, and that one death). In all honesty, I wasn't planning to use Launch at all in this story, but I figure a familiar face from the original Dragon Ball series would help ebb the tide of, "OC ANDROIDS IN YUR FAYCE!" But, for the most part, you generous people seemed to accept and enjoy Androids 1-7, albeit their brief appearance. And yes, there will be more with Android 3 in the future.**

 **Man, this section for the author's notes turned out to be longer than I anticipated. Do you see why 'rambles' is in my username? There's a reason for it, I swear.**


	9. Chapter 9: Brain Beats Brawn

Doctor Gero certainly was a mind ahead of his own time. His Androids were one thing, but being able to witness his laboratory first hand was evidence of his intelligence. Even Bulma felt humbled just going through the man's network of information and data. The true intricacy of his creations was mind boggling experience.

If she had more time, Bulma would have sifted through everything right then and there, but the planet was facing yet another brand new crisis. She and Trunks both had watched the recorded feed of Android 9 entering the complex, and then watched as he was promptly executed by one of the Androids he reactivated. They couldn't get a good look at the Android itself, but Bulma guessed Android 20, based on the location of the executioner, and the number on the pod.

Five new Androids were loose. All things considered, it could have been worse. There were still three that had yet to be activated, or even tampered with in years.

Each Android, one all the way up to twenty, came with a full report written by Doctor Gero himself, everything from their origins, to their designs, their purpose, even their former names.

The only Androids left after Commander Red's attempted raid were Androids 11, 12, and 16, all of which were labeled as failures in Gero's computer banks. Gero had always meant to circle back to the earlier projects, but never could before he died. His loss was humanity's potential gain.

Android 11, the first attempt Gero made at melding flesh and metal together to unlock the secrets of endless energy. _'It was easy to put some metal on Commander Red, restart his brain, and call him an Android,'_ Gero wrote in his report. _'Staff Officer Black is little more than a brain in a jar after his defeat. Android 11 though is something else. I found her in the hospital records in North City, close by. She was dying of an incurable heart disease. The disease infected her blood, spreading a virus that caused her muscles and nerves to decay at a slow, painful rate. By the time her family was ready to pull the plug, she was in constant pain._

 _'I presented myself as a medical researcher, hoping to learn from the virus in order to prevent others from suffering from the same disease. The parents were easy to manipulate. I managed to get her back to my laboratory after faking her death, and taking the body. The first problem with a simple solution was her disease. Her heart was the first thing to go. Next were blood vessels that were far too damaged to repair, followed by the organs that had already been infected by her disease. Estimated 72% body replacement. After draining her of that toxic blood, her skin became as white as snow. However, I believe I'm close to a breakthrough. Soon, she will be activated. She will be complete.'_

Android 11 was later put into stasis. Doctor Gero encountered the issue of 'free will' once she was activated. She didn't want to kill. She wanted to go home, and Gero wouldn't allow that. After Android 11 came his attempt at Android 12.

 _'I'm circling back to try pure cybernetics again. With the designs and readings from Android 11, I believe I should be able to construct a fully functional, self sustaining energy generator. One that won't die out like Androids 1-8. If I am successful, I'll be able to write programming for all my Androids, and be able to destroy Son Goku!_

 _'I'm making improvements to Android 3's initial processor. If I am to make an army of Androids, they should be the best of the best. Android 3's mind was second to none. Perhaps my first generation is worth going back to again. I could fix up their bodies, augment them, enhance them with the energy generator I'm constructing...'_

Android 12's energy generator was a success. A fully sentient Android with limitless energy output. It was later shut off when he developed a curiosity with his predecessor, Android 11, and started to show signs of self awareness.

There were reports for the rest of them, but the only one Bulma was focused on was 16. _'He's...complete. He's...perfect. A perfect replica. That's all this one will ever be. He can never be my son. My son..._

 _'Androids 17 and 18 have been put under again. It's Android 11 all over again. Only these two are more violent, more aggressive than she is. Not like 16. Android 16...he remains my most powerful creation. Like my son though, he's too soft hearted. He's a pacifist. He could destroy Goku in a blink but...no. I can't risk him. I can't lose him again. I refuse to lose my son again.'_

Android 16 was never primed and activated. His programming only allowed him to hunt down and kill Goku, but he was never unleashed by Gero.

Each Android that was under only had one fatal flaw. Android 11 didn't want to kill innocent people. Android 12 was becoming a free spirit, despite Gero's attempts to fix it. Android 16 was peaceful. Their 'flaws' were that they were too human. They were empathetic. They didn't want to spread hate and chaos around the world. They were different from the rest.

Bulma had already overridden Doctor Gero's programming on the Red Ribbon drones. All it would take is some time and extra effort put into her coding, but she could turn the tides against the Devil's Pair, the new Androids, and even Cooler all at once.

She just had to keep the secret from Trunks a bit longer.

He had been brooding since they arrived. There was something big out there. Bulma couldn't sense power levels, but she could sense when her son was distressed. It was more than his frustration towards the Super Saiyan transformation. Trunks was worried about Gohan. Bulma was too.

All the more reason to hurry and reprogram the dormant Androids. The sooner Gohan had backup, the sooner this new threat could be ended whatever had everybody so worried out there.

* * *

The ground beneath Cooler's feet shattered as he charged towards the bulked up bio-Android. "YOU'RE MINE!"

Cell vanished before Cooler could pounce on him. He reappeared high in the air, far out from the tyrant's reach. Or so he thought. Cooler came crashing down on top of him. With his knee buried deep in Cell's abdomen, the monstrosity was carried helplessly through several weakened buildings. The empty ruins collapsed behind their passing, until Cooler finally stopped his trek, allowing Cell to drift ahead just enough. Cooler allowed Cell to gain a small amount of distance, before hammering the bio-Android to the ground with a painful double axe handle to his head.

Cooler turned for a better angle on Cell as he slammed into the dirt. Once he had his sights lined up, Cooler gave a cruel laugh as he dove straight for the ground at break-neck speeds. Cell reacted at the last second, having pulled away as the King shattered the landscape with his fist.

The bio-Android secured his footing on the trembling surface, scowling at Cooler with venomous eyes. Cell charged a powerful spear of energy in the palm of his hand. The red javelin crackled and shimmered in the monster's grasp before he sent it flying at Cooler.

The Bad Lancer cut through the dust cloud surrounding the impact sight, giving Cell a clear line of sight as Cooler effortlessly caught the attack in his massive hand. "What?!"

Cooler's eyes gleamed before the energy attack was crushed in the tyrant's grasp. "Udon's signature technique was always flawed. Though his mastery of energy control was worth noting." The King chuckled as he started to walk towards Cell. "Your mastery of their techniques is laughable however. Pathetic parasite."

Cell's frustration was soon masked behind a cunning smile. "I have many more techniques that you haven't seen yet. Your power may have increased, but what does all of that matter if you're as arrogant and foolish as your family?"

"The problem is thinking that just because I share the same blood as them, you think I am anything like my family." Cooler rushed forward at blinding speeds to meet Cell head on. Literally. He slammed his head straight into Cell's, nearly caving the creature's skull in. As Cell shouted in agony, Cooler's iron grip locked around the monster's throat, cutting off its cries with a choke. "Case in point..."

The monarch slammed his knee into Cell's stomach, causing the creature to double over and howl in pain as Cooler let go of his throat. Cell retaliated by swinging his tail forward like a scorpion in an attempt to stab his foe with his stinger. Cooler turned to the side and grabbed the tail, and then turned again to yank the green fighter out of the air, spin him around, and then sent him flying to the ground.

Cell slammed through one of Ginger Town's last remaining streets, lifting up entire sections of cracked plates below ground. Cooler remained in the air, watching the ground for his opponent's inevitable counterattack. It came in the form of a barrage of golden energy balls flying toward Cooler in an impossibly accurate, straight line. Commander Nudoru's Eight Ball attack, impossible to dodge due to its speed, and impossible to deflect due to the eight energy balls all lined up behind one another. Cooler of course, had a counter for it.

From his finger, the King launched a single, piercing Death Beam that ripped through the energy bombs. Each one detonated prematurely as the beam pierced it, setting off a chain reaction that left a massive cloud of smoke to blanket the tyrant's vision. His eyes barely caught it, the final orb. That was when he realized there were nine, and the final one suddenly moved up over the Death Beam and rocketed towards Cooler. He quickly backhanded the last energy ball out of the way, keeping his eyes fixed on it. Sure enough, the ball curved back around and flew straight for him.

The tyrant twisted and caught the energy ball in the palm of his hand. He clamped his fingers down on the radiating orb securely. He could feel trying to move, trying to dart out of his grasp, but he refused to let it. Cell could control the orb. A new technique that Cooler had never seen before.

The bio-Android rushed out from his hiding place, screaming in fury. Cooler chuckled under his bone mask, turned, and hurled Cell's own attack back at him. In a brief moment, he could see Cell's predatory eyes widen in shock, before the ball struck home. The bomb exploded against its creator, smoke billowing out from the point of impact.

Cell broke through the smoke cloud, unscathed, and wrapped in a vibrant purple colored barrier. Cooler was stunned for only a moment at his brother's Nova Strike, but it was more than enough time for Cell to close the gap, and drive both of his fists into the tyrant's abdomen. Cooler curled around the blow and was pushed downward until his back slammed into the ground, but Cell was far from finished. He carried Cooler through the dirt, tearing a heavy trench with the King's body.

Cooler managed to repel the mutated monster by unleashing his aura. Cell was pushed back, given witness to his opponent wrapping himself in the same bubble as he was.

"You didn't think Frieza was the only one with this technique, did you?" Cooler questioned.

A furious Cell scowled and rushed the smirking tyrant.

They drove at each other, every impact causing them to bounce off of one another, only for them to clash again and again. What little remained of Ginger Town was leveled from the outward force caused by the two super powers slamming into each other. Each impact unleashed a crippling shockwave that the weathered ruins could not withstand.

Cell screamed as he rushed at Cooler again. The tyrant pulled himself to the right, leaving Cell to rush through empty air. Cooler circled around and shot forward with enough force to shatter Cell's barrier with a solid kick to his spine. The creature shrieked in agony as he was sent plummeting to the ground below.

Rather than risk him launching another attack from his new little hole, Cooler descended to the ground across the clearing from where Cell landed. The King chuckled and flexed his fingers. "I must thank you, Cell. Using this form's true capabilities has been a pleasure. I doubt even the Super Saiyan would have put up this much of a fight. And in killing you...well, it will almost be like killing every last one of my most hated enemies all at once."

Cell pushed himself out of the rubble. His slit pupils were fixed on Cooler, calm, analyzing. Cell may have had Frieza's genetics, but his mind was sharper than his little brother's. Cunning. It was a trait that should never been underestimated.

"Hm...you are indeed powerful. Stronger than me, even with the impressive arsenal at my disposal," Cell admitted. Cooler narrowed his red eyes cautiously. He kept his senses sharp, lest some copy-Cell pop up from the woodwork. "But you are not stronger than what I was made to be."

"Oh, don't get bogged down by what-ifs. So far, you're my favorite thing on this planet," Cooler teased. It wasn't entirely a lie. Aside from Gohan, killing Cell was the closest Cooler would get to beating Son Goku, not to mention destroying what remained of his father, and Frieza. Not only that, but it was a damn good excuse to use his Super Transformation. "I'd hate to imagine you as nothing but a whiner, Cell."

"Not at all. Just...imperfect. You see, I've only recently been able to acquire enough power to obtain the key to my perfection! Once that happens, I will finally be much stronger than you, or anyone else in the entire universe!"

The mad ramblings of a psychotic mutant waned on Cooler's patience. "Enough of this!" He rushed Cell head on. The creature vanished from sight, but Cooler's senses picked up its energy signature above. Cell hovered in the air like a perfect target, trying to use the sun to blind Cooler. "Pitiful! You won't escape me!"

Cooler charged again, blasting skyward. Cell smiled and held his hands out on either side of his face, fingers extended and parted. "Want a bet?" The tyrant slowed as he realized Cell was preparing some form of attack. "SOLAR FLARE!" A blinding white light flashed out from Cell's body, erupting so suddenly, so brightly that it instantly rendered Cooler blind.

Cooler covered his eyes with both hands, shouting out in fury. "What did you do to me you wretch!?"

Cell gave a low, delighted growl as he watched the tyrant flail about like a mad dog. He could try to absorb Cooler, but that would take time. And he very much doubted that his and Cooler's skirmish went unnoticed by Gohan, or Cooler's lackeys.

He had been watching, waiting for years. With Android 17 crippled by Cooler, his chance to strike would have to be immediate. And after becoming perfect, Cell could worry about humiliating the 'King' all he wanted.

Despite Cooler's threats, and his challenges, Cell turned around and blasted off, gaining as much distance as quickly as he could before the tyrant could chase after him. Cooler could still sense that blasted energy signature though. In a desperate attempt to stop Cell, Cooler unleashed a volley of energy blasts to chase after Cell. Each bomb had enough energy to drop the creature out of the sky, but each shot was more careless and less accurate than the last. By the time any semblance of vision returned to Cooler, Cell was too far out of reach for his attacks, and was already skirting on the edges of Cooler's senses.

"You won't escape me! CELL!"

His furious shout echoed over the empty valley. Everything was blurry, but he could make out simple shapes and colors. It was enough to start chasing down his prey.

* * *

She was still worried about Treet, the strange girl who ran away. Her father had delivered news that Hercule, one of the Resistance's more prominent fighters, was coming to share news with the nomads hiding in the mountains. It was a rare occasion, to see everyone gathered together. Whenever they did have the rare meetings, it was always a toss up between seeing more or less people than the last meeting.

This time, there seemed to be more people, thankfully. Wayward survivors that would stumble upon their isolated community meant that more people were alive.

It was always in the same spot. Between the mountains just before the remains of Fire Mountain. Chi-Chi remembered the village her father tried to start after the destruction of their old home. It was a noble dream, only to be trampled by the Red Ribbon Army once, and then again during its resurgence. Staying in a crowded area like a city or a village made for a gigantic target. It was a lesson humanity learned at the cruel hands of the Androids very quickly.

Chi-Chi scanned the crowds for the red haired girl among the few hundred people. "I wonder what this news is about," Ox-King said. Chi-Chi was drawn out of her thoughts and directed her focus up to her father. "The Resistance doesn't usually like to call us all together like this..."

"I'm sure it's important, dad." There was always worry when Bulma and Launch's group called on them. Always whispers that Gohan was finally killed. Chi-Chi knew better. She would have known if her son was dead. Even if she couldn't sense energy, the bond between a mother and son was unbreakable. "Do you see Treet anywhere?"

"Hm? Oh, that strange girl? No, I-I haven't been looking. Sorry honey..."

She was a bit disappointed to hear her father say that. These days, humanity needed to watch out for every last person. Facing the constant threat of death all by oneself did things. People changed, unable to trust other people. During the early days, that was especially true, but as the years passed and more people died, desperation outweighed paranoia. It wasn't always the case for some, though.

"Here he comes!" Chi-Chi and her father looked up at the sight of an airship coming in. A small craft designed to fit three, maybe four people. Or an Ox-King plus one.

The craft descended down onto the clearing. Nobody said a word. They were all to panicked that it was terrible news. Chi-Chi however, waited calmly, curious about the news.

When the ship opened up, the aging former Martial Arts Champion stepped out, sporting a broad smile on his face. So far so good.

"Hercule!"

"What's going on?"

"Did the Resistance fall?"

"Are the Androids coming for us?!"

The panicked outcries grew louder and louder, preventing Hercule from speaking or sharing his news. Chi-Chi's anger was on the rise as people were risking to lose their minds. "HEY!" She stomped her foot with enough force to comically shake the people on their feet. "SHUT UP AND LET HIM SPEAK!" There wasn't a face in the crowd that wasn't scared. Chi-Chi turned back to Hercule, giving him a calming smile. "Please, continue."

"U-uh...th-thanks Chi-Chi." The Champion cleared his throat, then struck a dynamic pose with his fists on his hips. "People of the mountains! The Resistance brings excellent news! As of yesterday, the Red Ribbon has officially been defeated!" It took a moment for the news to sink in, before the crowd started cheering. People laughed, people sung, cried with joy, celebrating the first victory humanity had achieved against the Red Ribbon Army. And it was their army's total annihilation at that.

Chi-Chi felt tears welling up in her eyes. No doubt it was her son's doing. He finally managed to overpower and outsmart the Red Ribbon Androids once and for all. Without them, the Army itself would be simple to take down.

"And even better than that, the Devil's Pair has been crippled! In a dynamic fight to the finish, Android 17 was beaten within an inch of his life and forced to flee with Android 18! They're still at large though, but they're on the run now!"

Even better news. The crowds cheered louder, sounding throughout the mountains.

"I can't believe it!"

"We're going to survive?!"

"The Androids are gone!"

"I wouldn't quite put it like that," a voice called out from above. Chi-Chi felt a cold shudder from the tone of the man's voice. She and many others looked up and saw five figures lingering in the shadows, sitting atop a cliff overlooking the meeting of nomads. The figure that spoke, the old man sitting with his elbow resting on his knee, grinned down at the people. "We're still very much here."

"Who are they?" Ox-King asked. "I've never seen them before..."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened in alarm when she noticed a common trait among each of the newcomers. They had the Red Ribbon symbol on their person. On their hats, on one's belt, and the other literally had a large red ribbon tied around his neck like a bow tie.

"Th-they're Red Ribbon," Chi-Chi shouted.

"Very astute my dear," the old one admitted. The people were worked into a panic again as the old man and the identically dressed, albeit shorter and fatter one both jumped down from the cliff ledge and landed in front of them. "It was quite the endeavor searching for you lot, but thankfully I had the good fortune that you would all gather together for me in one spot. This will make my task much easier."

Hercule pushed through the crowd, even pushing Chi-Chi out of the way before he aimed his magnum at the pair. "You both stay back! I don't know who you think you are, but—,"

The old man's eyes moved to Hercule's weapon just before launching a pair of piercing lasers from his eyes. The beams knocked the gun out of his hand, reducing it to a flying ball of molten metal. The nomads gawked in terror at the power displayed, while Hercule clutched his injured hand.

Chi-Chi and her father both held the former Champion upright. She noticed there was a nasty burn on the back of Hercule's hand.

"Now, I've come for only one of you," the old man announced. "Give her up peacefully, and the rest of you may be allowed to live." His eyes moved to Ox-King, easily the largest person around. "19, scan that man there..." Soon, the old Android's eyes dropped down to Chi-Chi. He gave the woman an unnervingly smug smile.

"Scan completed," 19 said, his voice light, clearly synthetic. "Identity confirmed; Ox-King, former ruler of Fire Mountain. Father of Chi-Chi, grandfather to Son Gohan."

"And the woman next to him?" Chi-Chi glared at the Android. She knew he was just playing games at this point.

"Identity confirmed: Chi-Chi, wife of Son Goku, mother of Son Gohan. Target confirmed."

"Good," the wrinkled Android said with a cruel chuckle. "My dear, this will be easier for everyone here if you simply give yourself up willingly."

"Why do you want me?" she asked. "I'm not a threat to you!" She knew there was only one thing Androids would want her for. She was the mother of the last Z Fighter.

"Of course not, but your son presents a variable I would like to get out of the way as quickly as possible. Fighting him with our numbers would be easy, but still a chore. And given his alliance with the newcomer of this planet, I would rather eliminate one obstacle as easily as possible."

Chi-Chi's scowl hardened on the old man. Before she could say anything, her father stepped forward. "I won't let you lay a hand on my Chi-Chi!" The Ox-King charged forward, screaming furiously as he drew a massive arm back to drive through the old Android.

"Father, no!"

He threw his fist forward, but it stopped mere inches from the old man's face. The Android didn't even bat an eye before he looked up at the other white haired Android who had grabbed the Ox-King's wrist, threatening to break it under his grip.

"I did not call for your assistance, 13."

"Shoot, Doc, I thought a big ol' bastard like this might actually be a threat," 13 said, his voice carrying a thick country accent. "Sorry if I jumped the gun there."

"GOTCHA!" Both Androids looked over as Hercule jumped over the Ox-King, planting a hand on the giant man's shoulder in order to throw all of his might behind a kick aimed for 13's face. Hercule's boot landed against the bridge of the Android's nose, but for the former Champion, he may as well have tried to split a mountain. The sinister Android just smiled, unaffected by Hercule's crushing kick. "Uh oh..."

"Hold on partner!" 13 grabbed Hercule's ankle with his free hand, and then flew into the air, carrying both Ox-King and Hercule. "You're about to go for a ride!" The Android spun around quickly, leaving his arms extended and spinning both humans like limp rag dolls. He threw Hercule to the ground first, and then Ox-King after him.

Disoriented and dazed, Hercule still saw the giant of a man flying towards him. The Champ moved backwards, tucking his knees to his chest to roll like a ball as Ox-King slammed into the ground. He quickly planted his feet flat on the ground, and then stood upright with a grenade in his hand. Hercule pulled the pin and hurled the explosive at 13 with all his might. The Android chuckled and grabbed the grenade out of the air like a baseball. A moment later, it exploded in his hand.

The blast covered the Android in smoke, and deafened a few of the nomads closer to the explosion. Hercule watched carefully, but allowed a smile on his face as his panted heavily. "That...that had to do some damage..."

" _Sorry partner..."_ The voice caused Hercule to tense up in terror. The smoke finally cleared, with no visible damage being done to the Android at all. "Looks like 13 is your unlucky number."

The Android vanished, only to appear in from of Hercule a second later. The crowd gasped as Hercule drew back to attack. Android 13 gave a devastating flick of his finger across Hercule's face before the Champ could finish drawing his fist back. Hercule yelped and flew back, slamming into his ship with enough force to leave him embedded in the metal.

The nomads were silent. 13 moved back next to the old Android's side, opposite of 19. The apparent leader turned his eyes back to Chi-Chi. "Now my dear, will you be coming peacefully, or shall we make this an inconvenience for us all?"

Chi-Chi turned back to the old man with a venomous scowl. "You hurt my father...you threaten my friends, _my SON!_ And you expect me to just hand myself to you!? I'd sooner die!"

"Fortunately, you won't have to. But you will watch the rest of them die. 19, apprehend the woman."

"Affirmative, Android 20."

Chi-Chi braced herself as the fat Android charged at her. She knew she stood no chance, but she wasn't going to be the first person ever in her family to surrender. Android 19 flashed a sinister grin and reached out for her. Chi-Chi saw a flash of red across the mechanical man's palm, which was gone as soon as it appeared.

She thought for a moment that she was done for, that the Androids had captured her and she was just now waking up. Instead, she saw a figure in front of her with their foot firmly slammed into 19's face. The blow from the stranger was enough to stop 19 in his tracks, and even send him flying in the opposite direction, back toward the other Androids.

Android 13 reached out with his hand and caught the larger Android effortlessly with a laugh. "Whoa partner, slow down there!" Android 20 narrowed his eyes, in silent reflection of his dormant fury.

Chi-Chi stared at her savior in awe as they landed in front of her, shielding her. It took a moment, but she realized that her savior was wearing the same clothes that she had set out for a former guest.

"T-Treet?"

Android 13 placed 19 down, snickering at the scowl his counterpart gave their new attacker. "Whoa now, should we let this bull out of his pen, Doc?"

20 said nothing, focusing his attention on the coated figure hiding their face underneath a pilot's hat. Finally, a knowing smile crossed his face again. "The prodigal child returns." She stood up at full height, but kept her head ducked down to hide her face behind the bill of her hat. "Come now, it was this mind that gave you life. The least you can do is allow your creator to see you."

Chi-Chi stared at Treet in confusion. She knew the Androids? What did the old man mean by, 'creator?'

Treet answered the old Android's request by swiftly casting off her hair, letting her crimson hair show, reflecting the wrinkled man's pale blue eyes. "It's been awhile, Doctor Gero."

"Unfortunately my dear, you are mistaken about that," the Android said. He grabbed the black, cylinder shaped hat on his head and lifted it off of his head. Underneath was a blue glass container of some kind, housing a mechanical brain. "I am merely what is left of Doctor Gero's genius, his intellect, and his hatred."

"The Super Computer..."

"Correct. I have designated myself as Android 20, the final model in a long line, as you yourself are apart of." Android 20 placed the cylinder back on his head, covering his mechanical brain. "So indulge me, Android 3, what is this little display of rebellion?"

"It is exactly as it appears," 3 answered. "I will not allow you to hurt this woman, or any of these people!"

Android 20 grinned as 13 laughed. Android 19 was the only one who was still hungry for his chance at revenge. "One of Gero's incomplete failures? How precious. Tell me, Android 3, why the change of heart?"

She paused at the question. She wasn't exactly sure herself what sparked the change. Ever since being activated by Android 9, Commander Red, she had simply followed the orders of her programming: serve the Red Ribbon Army. Her mind, her hyper-advanced mind, mixed with the Red Ribbon Army's eventual fall, allowed her to break those shackles. With nothing to dictate her actions, Android 3 gave herself the gift of free will.

The answer came to her in that moment of clarity. "I don't wish to kill, or destroy anymore. I won't serve murderous madmen like you, or Commander Red. These people deserve to live in peace. I will fight for their lives, for their chance to live in peace!"

Chi-Chi was nearly brought to tears by Android 3's speech. She was still conflicted about being lied to, being tricked and housing one of the Red Ribbon's own. But Android 3 seemed sincere in her vows, and had already saved her once. Here she was, standing against her own creators for a group of humans she didn't even know.

"Amusing," 20 spoke. "But irrelevant. While you were one of the more advanced models of your generation, you still suffer from their same, fatal flaw. Your generation has a limited supply of energy. You generators, which power your very life, eventually become over clocked and die, just like a battery. The newer generation, everything after Android 10, was made to have limitless energy. Android 19 and I take it a step further, and we have the ability to absorb and increase our capacity. You're good with numbers my dear, so tell me; what are the chances of one inferior model, with a limited energy source that has been in use for the last thirteen years, defeating five superior models with unlimited energy?"

Androids 20 and 13 both chuckled, and even 19 flashed an arrogant smirk. Android 3 lowered herself in a combative stance, one that was ingrained into her core programming. She, like all of Gero's Androids, were give an indepth analysis of Son Goku's fighting style and its understanding. Android 3 took that understanding, that fighting style, as her weapon against humanity's enemy.

"I was aware of this flaw for quite some time," Android 3 answered. "It was why I always held back, why I fought in reserve while my brothers and sisters ran around like loose cannons. I was conserving my energy the entire time. Would you like to know how much of my power reserves I have left, Android 20?" She met their smugness with a smile of her own. "I still have about ninety percent of my total power left." Android 20's face lit up with alarm at 3's revelation. "Your mind created us, improved us, even created the programming matrix that my mind works off of, so you tell _me_ something. How much damage do you think I'm still capable of if I were to cut loose?"

Android 20 remained silent. His brow furrowed in frustration, ignoring the confused stares of 13 and 19 behind him. "Oh come on Doc, you gotta be kiddin'. She's no threat to us!"

"Android 19! Take her out!"

The Android didn't need to be told twice. He shot forward, shrieking in fury as he reached out to grab the lesser Android's face. 3 swiftly ducked down under the strike, and rose up to drive her fist into 19's chin. The blow sent the Android's pointed hat flying off of its head. While he was still reeling, Android 3 grabbed 19's vest and pushed him back. She flipped around, spinning 19 around so that he was under her before driving both feet into his stomach. The double dropkick slammed 19 deep into the ground, causing cracks to snake out from the point of impact. She wasn't finished yet. Android 3 jumped off of the stunned Android's stomach, high into the air, before diving back down to slam both of her fists back into the precise spot she buried her feet. The impact shook the ground and pushed 19 further down, until even 3's body was gone from sight.

A moment later, a slim figure jumped out of the hole in the ground and landed perfectly across from Android 20 and 13. There was an unmistakable look of frustration on 20's face, the look of realizing one's error.

"Less than point one percent," 3 announced. "Hardly a challenge."

The ground broke apart, forming a crater as Android 19 freed himself from his earthly tomb. Android 3 stared at him. His expression showed no signs of pain or fatigue. Aside from the physical evidence, 19 seemed unaffected by her punishing assault.

"Don't get cocky my dear," 20 said, allowing a smile to creep back on his face. "The battle has only just begun. 19, no restraints. Destroy this failure."

* * *

The city had been turned into a wasteland. Gohan had seen Android attacks that left more behind. Wanton destruction wasn't even their goal either. The wasteland had been created in the heat of battle between two forces that were far more powerful than anything Gohan had ever faced.

The only thing that was left intact was the cracked suit of armor he found, with the tattered Resistance uniform that he recognized immediately. Had he any idea how powerful that creature was, Gohan would have never let Launch leave alone.

He knew Cooler wouldn't morn for her, let alone care. If he used her as bait, regardless of his strength, Gohan was gonna make him hurt for it.

The Armored Squadron was kind enough to give Gohan time to grieve, even though they were anxious to continue after their master. Gohan sensed him. It was impossible to miss _that_ energy. Cooler was miles away, but Gohan could still sense him as easily as he could the Armored Squadron only a few feet away. What he couldn't sense was that creature.

It was hiding, which meant following after Cooler would be like stepping through a minefield. It could have its energy signature hidden anywhere along the way, only to pop out and suck up any one of them to increase its power. He knew the result of the fight, since Cooler was still alive and searching.

"I'm sorry, Launch," Gohan spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I swear, I'm going to kill that thing for you." He sighed, placing his hand gently on the vacant armor. "Rest easy...you've earned it." She wouldn't accept a thank you. Even in death she would find a way to kick him if he thanked her for everything she did. It was something that needed to be done. She was just the only one to volunteer for the dirty job. But he was grateful nonetheless. She managed to save more lives than Gohan could. She rallied the people together, gave them more hope than he could. He was just a legend, a hero. Launch was their leader, the true champion of Earth, and her people.

She deserved to rest. But she also deserved to be avenged.

"Alright, this is how it's going to go from here on out," Gohan announced. The Armored Squadron turned to him, ready to push forward. "You three don't have your scouters, so I'm the only one who can detect energy! That _thing_ that fought your boss is still out there, hiding. We can't risk it ambushing us, so we're staying close together, and keeping our eyes pealed for it. If we slip up even for a second, one of us is going to get a firsthand experience of what that thing does when it gets its hands on somebody. Got it?"

"What are we still waiting for zhen? Let's move!" Gohan knew they didn't like taking orders from him, not a single one of them. But they knew that without him being their guide, there was no way to reach Cooler, and they were utterly defenseless if that monster attacked.

For whatever their loyalty was worth, Gohan was glad to have three sets of eyes watching his back before they took off.

* * *

Trunks paced around the laboratory impatiently as his mother typed away on the computer, retrieving all of computer's leftover data. Either Doctor Gero had all the knowledge in the world in his basement, or his mother was getting slower.

"What the hell is taking so long over there?"

"Don't use that tone with me!"

"Gohan is out there on his own, and we're still waiting on something that should have been done half an hour ago! 17 and 18 are still on the loose, not to mention Cooler, the new Androids, and whatever the hell attacked the Resistance! Why are we just SITTING HERE?!"

Bulma paused what she was doing and slowly turned in her chair to face Trunks. His furious stare was met with her calm, harsh glare. Trunks could barely stand just sitting around, and now his mother was going to glare at _him?_

"Nothing is keeping you here. If you want to run off on your own, be my guest. But don't yell at me when I'm trying to help fix things."

She turned back around to the computer, giving Trunks the cold shoulder. As much as he hated being talked down to, he knew his mother was right. He unclenched his fists and dropped his arms at his sides. "Sorry...I just...hate being so useless!"

"Sweetie, you're not useless. You've been out there, fighting against impossible odds alongside Gohan every step of the way. You're just as much a warrior as he is."

"Yeah, I'm just not as strong or useful enough to fight against the Androids, or against Cooler," he spat dismissively. "Besides, someone needs to destroy these Androids once we're done here."

"Hey, sweetie, can you go back to the ship really quick and make sure there wasn't a call from Vi or something?"

Trunks had completely forgotten about the Resistance. "Right! I'm on it mom!" He quickly left for he exit.

Once he was gone, Bulma took a deep breath and engaged the activation sequence for the Androids. Physically, they were fine. Android 12 and 16's programming though required a bit of tinkering. Bulma helped 12's 'awakening' along that Gero tried to repress. As for 16, with Goku gone, Bulma did her best to rewrite the orders as best as she could.

The three pods hissed as the chamber doors unlocked. They rose up slowly as the computer stirred back to life. Three bright, red eyes shined through the darkness that covered their forms. Bulma rose up from her chair and stepped back as the last three Androids were activated.

"Oh please let this work..."

* * *

Trunks quickly answered an urgent call coming to the ship. The screen came to life and Vi shouting at someone off the screen. "Vi? Vi are you there?"

The purple haired girl quickly scrambled back to the computer. _"Trunks?! What the hell is going on?! I've been trying to reach you guys for almost half an hour!"_

"W-we're busy trying to get all we can out of Gero's lab. What's going on?"

" _The mountains! The civies in the mountains Trunks, they're under attack! Our hunter drones out there are watching and—Trunks, it's the new Androids! We need Gohan, Cooler SOMEONE needs to get there!"_

"What?! I'm going over now!"

"Not alone you're not." Trunks looked up as his mother strolled into the ship, brimming with confidence.

"Mom, now isn't the time! I've got to go!"

"And you will. With backup." Trunks didn't have time to process what his mother was trying to say as he ran past her to exit the aircraft. He stopped dead in his tracks, heart leaping to his throat when he saw three unfamiliar figures standing in front of him.

The first was a young girl with white skin, a delicate frame, and a short cut of dark brown hair. She was dressed in red boots, black stockings with lacing up the side, a tan skirt with white frills on it, wearing a black corset, and a white shirt under it with a small red tie that reached no further than her collar. Her sleeves were large and baggy, matching her skirt in color and design, with black arm warmers covering her forearms.

The second was a towering man with a stoic, structured face, adorned in black tights under a series of lime green armor that covered his chest, wrists, and waist, with a matching pair of boots with black tips.

The last one was a young boy with long black hair, slicked back that draped behind him, reaching to his lower back, with two single strands that reached down past his face. He wore a white shirt with a black vest, fingerless gloves, and ordinary blue jeans tucked into his black, gold color tipped boots.

"M-mom...who are these people...?"

Bulma smiled and place a hand on her son's head. He looked up at her, seeing an unhealthy amount of self satisfaction coming off of her grin. "Trunks...just remember, brain beats brawn every time."

* * *

Android 19 shouted as he made another dive for her. Android 3 fell back onto her hands and threw both feet up into the Android's abdomen, launching it up into the air. 3 flipped back onto her feet and shot herself after him. 19 stopped himself by throwing his arms and legs out, and then launched his eye lasers at Android 3. She rolled to the side to avoid them without losing her building momentum. 19 watched as she circled around, preventing her from getting the drop on him.

Android 3 stopped and hovered across from 19, both combatants staring each other down. She realized that her strikes were not having the effect she wanted on 19. His larger frame made him incredibly resistant to internal damage from physical combat. Even when striking as hard as she could, it was like blanketing the force of her strikes in pillows. She considered, briefly, using energy attacks, but she knew how those orbs in 19's hands worked. Android 20 even said so himself, he and 19 have the ability to absorb energy. Unless she had a one hundred percent chance of utilizing an energy attack, she wouldn't risk it. She still had the other Androids to fend off though.

She ignored what her mind told her. She had no chance of surviving this. That didn't mean she wouldn't try like hell to defend the people.

There was a personal sense of accomplishment in seeing the look of frustration on Android 20's expression. If his assessment of her abilities were wrong, and she wasn't a threat then he wouldn't care, and undoubtedly do away with her in the blink of an eye. But if he doubted his superiority to Doctor Gero in any way, if she could prove that even one of his inventions was inferior in any way, then at the very least she would strike as a dagger to wound his pride before her ultimate destruction.

And it might be a futile cause in the end, but at least it was a good cause.

"Dang Doc, you think she has a chance to beat 19?"

20 scowled savagely at Android 13's implications. "Absolutely not. Android 19 will prove that this lesser model is not a threat."

"Then why not just have us wipe her out already?"

Android 20's scowl hardened.

Android 3 and 19 both lunged at each other. The larger Android threw out a punch aimed for her face. Android 3 jumped over the strike and slammed her foot into 19's face, sending her opponent shooting back. 19 bounced off the ground and spun to catch himself as Android 3 pressed her advantage. She ducked under the defensive strike 19 threw at her, and unleashed a series of savage, powerful blows in a punishing forward assault. She pushed herself to beyond the limits her body was meant to manage, achieving a new level of speed and power, as well as unlocking a greater mental charge in her perception and response times. She learned how to restrain her power for so long, she also knew how to push it into overdrive.

Android 19 was buried under a storm of lightning fast punches and kicks slamming over the body's most vulnerable points. Android 3 was striking each area with crushing force, delivered at near super-sonic speeds. 19's face in particular felt rather susceptible to crushing blows.

When 19 had an opening to strike back, Android 3 shot around it to circle behind him. She dove downward and slammed a punishing, precise elbow shot to the back of Android 19's neck. He gave a pained noise before crashing face first into the dirt. When 19 landed, Android 3 dove her knees straight into the center of his back. She pierced the chubby Android into the ground, forcing him to fold back with a strained sound on his mechanical back.

Android 3 jumped off of 19's back and landed across the clearing in wait.

19's body shook as he strained to push himself off the ground. The boost was worth it. She still had about eighty-three percent left, and she could feed a bit more to cripple Android 19. If he was weaker than 3, Android 20 was unlikely to suffer such an insult to his programming. His genius. His pride.

"Android 19! Get up and destroy this garbage once and for all!" The large Android quickly snapped up to his feet and turned his narrow, icy cold gaze back on 3. She stood ready for anything he had to throw at her. "This is a futile gesture, Android 3. No matter what you think, you cannot keep us from what we want to get."

"Then go ahead," she called out over her shoulder. He said nothing, made no order. She called his bluff and he backed down.

"There is no logical outcome where you can survive this. Why sacrifice yourself when we will accomplish what we want no matter what you do?"

She would not waste her words. Android 3 rushed 19 as he struggled to stand up. She pushed herself up with an eight percent boost at once. The world around her moved in a blur as she crashed her fist through 19's face. The large Android was thrown off his feet and sent flying across the ground. 3 shot forward, gaining pace ahead ahead of him. She speared her elbow back to knock Android 19's head into the ground below.

Her knees buckled under sudden stress. 19 quickly recovered, faster than she had ever seen him move, even with her enhanced perception. He threw a fast-striking punch, she barely blocked it in time. 19 pushed harder, slamming his cranium against 3's face with crushing force. She cried out and shot herself away from the powerful strike. It was just as she feared.

He was holding back his power as well.

Seventy-five percent left. She could spare at least fifty percent in another fight with one of the other Androids. She was unlikely to do anything to Android 13 himself, but she stood a slightly better chance against the two onlookers, 14, and 15. All because her scanners could give her a read on the potential energy output for their bodies. Android 13's particular model and scans indicate similar properties to Meta Prime. She feared the implications of what another fused Android could do.

The other harmful factor was her body's capability to handle such intense pressures. If Android 19 had more power, then she would have no choice but to push herself harder. She had to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Android 19 vanished from sight and appeared before her. She jerked back, but was too slow. He grabbed her arm. There was a shooting pain that burst from Android 3's arm. She shouted in pain and overcharged on an upward kick to 19's chin. It was enough to break his grip and send him back a considerable distance, enough for Android 3 to pull back and reassess her situation.

He only held onto her for a second, but he knocked her reserves down to sixty-eight percent. Android 19 was stronger than she previously predicted, and his energy absorbing capabilities were worse than she feared. She would need to make some readjustments to her calculations. She definitely wasn't going to destroy two of the newer Androids without a miracle now.

She pushed herself harder, cranking her systems to the point her body began to overheat. The air around her rolled off of her in waves. If her calculations were correct, she would be able to match Android 19 based on his rise in power. She could reach a power that even her siblings had yet to reach. Her body would just have to cope.

The new depths of power she pushed out caused her speed to surpass those of Android 2's. Even Android 19 was caught off guard when 3 landed two uppercuts as soon as she disappeared. Both blows left their marks. An upward black mark stretching over 19's left cheek, and the right half of his face scuffed harshly by her fist.

Android 19 retaliated with intense speeds. Android 3 twirled her body around the attempted grab, her perceptions rising up higher than ever before. She brought her leg around and slammed her foot into the back of 19's head. The strike sent the larger Android rolling end over end across the clearing, while Android 3 watched callously.

19 got himself to his own feet, but it wasn't until his momentum had slowed down later that he was even able to stop himself. 3's new power boost would keep her strong enough to match 19 in power and speed. She just had to stay a step ahead of his moments. And her first plan of attack was to take out 19's absorption capabilities away from him.

She raced forward, driving her shoulder into 19's chest. The larger Android shook hard under the force of her strike. The gloves Android 3 wore on her fists burst with static charge as she concentrated an even higher burst of power through her body. She unleashed a large flurry of punches and kicks across Android 19's body and face. She grabbed his cranium and pulled it down hard into her crashing knee. As he thrashed back, 3 reached forward and grabbed 19 by his wrists and locked her grip on tight. She reached out with her legs and drove her feet into 19's back and pushed hard, yanking on his arms.

Android 19 yelped as his arms were pulled and locked back firmly in place. 3 squeezed on his arms and pulled back. She could hear the metal in his arms pulling and groaning under the pressure. Android 3 felt powerful. She felt unstoppable. Android 19's arms gave a sharp _'crack'_ under pressure as they pulled back from his shoulders.

Then her own limbs gave out.

Her knees buckled and her legs caved under the power output. 19 could feel the slack, and quickly pulled his arms forward. Android 3 was helplessly pulled down, and her grip broken in one motion by the superior Android. She was thrown across the ground, crashing through the mountain walls in seconds. Android 19 gave a wicked smile, his blood-oil running from his nose, down his teeth and cheek, reflecting the Android's sadistic nature as he dove forward. The hole in the mountain became wider as 19 crashed through the the stone, only to add a punishing fist to her stomach, which only pinned her deeper into the mountain.

3's face twisted in pain at the damage she suffered in her midsection. Her pained, pale blue eye stared into Android 19's gleefully twisted eyes. He quickly latched his hand over Android 3's throat, sinking his pudgy, iron fingers into her neck. Android 3 felt the crushing force, sending her already panic-driven brain into a frenzy.

With driving precision and force, she struck against 19's elbow and his wrist. She felt both joints give under pressure, and released her throat after sufficiently weakening his left arm. Before she could strike back, 19 drove his heavy fist across 3's face. She tore across the mountain surface before dropping down to the ground. Android 19 landed across from her with the mountain wall to his right, and Android 3 on the ground before him.

Her mind was a mess. So much damage was spreading across her legs, and her power generator was strained. Even without overusing her generator like the rest of her siblings, the process of storing all of her restrained power had still weakened it. She burned through energy faster than Meta Prime. Her body was immensely weakened by her overexertion of energy, not to mentioned pushed to a breaking point under 19's counterattack. And with the energy he stole from her added on top of the extra burn and damage sustained, Android 3's chances of immediate survival were dropping.

No matter the method, she was just as harshly flawed as the rest of her line. What little superiority she held over her brothers and sisters for being aware of their critical weakness over the years, had suddenly turned into nothing in the wake of her destruction.

She still had thirty-two percent left. The extra burn of pushing her body weakened her faster than she expected. But the power she reached could have easily matched a Super Saiyan, or possibly even an Arcosian Emperor's. If that level of power was maintained, Android 3 would have proven that she wasn't the failure her brothers and sisters believed her to be. She would have been the strongest of them all, if only she didn't live so long.

"Well, Android 3, this was an entertaining display," Android 20 called out. She turned to the wrinkled Android with contempt. Both he and his cohort 13 were smiling. "But your little rebellion has amounted to the same worth as your life. Android 19, finish her off so that we may capture Son Goku's widow."

Android 19 charged without hesitation. Android 3 refused to go down without a fight.

She pushed herself off of the ground on her hands, rising up to meet 19's charge directly, standing upon near-broken legs. She gathered her energy in a final, last-ditch effort, and hurled it all down with a savage, furious cry. Her voice echoed over the destructive wave of pink energy that devastated the ground and unleashed a shattering wave across the earth. Her scanners picked up the fact that 19 was absorbing the blast. Android 3 scowled and kept pushing, pouring every last ounce of her strength behind the attack.

The energy wave wrapped around Android 3's body, and pouring down energy over 19 faster than he could absorb it all. She was reading the limits of how much energy Android 19 could absorb at once. She wasn't going to lose, even if it did cost her life. There was a cause worth that much more to her.

Android 3's skin burned bright red, steam rolling off of her body as she pushed more energy into the attack. She unleashed another primal roar as the wave expanded, unleashing the destructive force of a warhead as the power exploded around them.

The energy wave expanded. It was being pushed out faster than Android 19 could absorb it in. The pink wave of energy started to expand between 19's hands and fingers. The trails of power licked and burned his body and clothes.

"I...won't let you...win!"

With one final push, Android 3's attack consumed herself and 19 in a blast of light.

The scene began to settle as the flash of light died out. A new crater was made where the Androids had clashed, large enough to cut into the mountain itself.

In the smoking hole, Android 3 lied face down in the dirt, half buried with smoke trailing off of her body. At the other end of the crater, Android 19 pushed himself out from under a pile of heavy rubble. His left arm, and a considerable portion of his body as well, was blown away. His brain case was cracked in one area, the left side of his pudgy face burned and scorched, melting his left eye shut.

Android 3 forced her weakened arms to lift herself up, running on almost no charge now. She looked out across the crater and saw that Android 19 was still very functional, albeit a few pounds lighter. Although she faced her death, she had stabbed Android 20's pride. Even though 19 could easily kill her in their condition, he was useless as a whole. Android 20 would have no need for dead weight, and most likely would scrap 19.

She offered a humored smile. 19 returned the expression with unrestrained fury and charged towards her. It was a futile effort to be sure. She changed nothing, save for the maiming of a fellow Android. Android 20 was unlikely to leave survivors. Her tale would not even have the chance to outlive her. A poor waste of her life. Android 19 raised his fights high above her, keep on delivering the final low.

But at least she made the choice to die for a better cause.

Android 19's strike would never land its target, as a blur tore overhead and severed his arm from his shoulder. 3 finally looked up when the blow didn't hit, seeing the shocked expression on 19's face as he looked at his limbless stump. A hand suddenly tore through the pudgy Android's chest, retracting before 19's shock finished setting in. He only had enough time to lower his eyes to the fist-sized hole in his chest, before his head was severed from his body next by a blinding kick.

19's head landed on the ground and rolled down the crater with a twisted, agonized look of shock on his face. Android 3 looked from the severed head, up to her apparent savior. She registered him as an Android, another that she had never seen before. A newer model.

At a glance, he bore a vague similarity to Android 17. Once she focused, she saw the differences. The new Android was shorter, younger in appearance. Android 3's scans implied that he was fully mechanical, like herself or 19, rather than the Android in the Devil's Pair he resembled. His body and mechanics were far more advanced than her own, and even surpassed Android 19's capabilities.

Another rogue Android. Perhaps a hidden agent of Android 20's, or another anarchy driven sociopath. He looked down at Android 3 with calm, calculated eyes that stared right through her. "Are you Android 3?" he asked, his voice lightly synthetic in sound.

She stared up dumbly at the newer Android and gave a nod. "I am designated Android 12, recently named, Nimu." He faced Android 3 and clicked his heels together with the diligence of a soldier, and bowed his head to her with respect. "I am modeled and created in the image of your groundbreaking design. It is an honor to meet my predecessor."

Android 3 felt, for the first time, a wave of embarrassment at the formal Android that just saved her life. She looked over at 13 and 20, and discerned that Android 12, Nimu, was not with them. 13 wore a dumb look of mild surprise on his face, which was nothing compared to the utter contempt painted on 20's.

"U-um...are you...not with them?"

"Negative. I was created by Doctor Gero before his death. I have been dormant for fifteen years. Recent modifications and upgrades to this model were done by Bulma Brief."

" _WHAT?!"_ Standing above the crater, Android 20 looked ready to blow a gasket. "That vile brat is still alive?! And she tampered with _my_ creations?!"

Android 13 looked dead ahead at the main threat, Android 12, ready to attack. "What the heck is goin' on, Doc? I thought you said those Androids weren't ready to activate!"

"We were," a new voice called out. Both 13 and 20 snapped their heads up at two other figures floating in the sky above. They descended on the other end of the crater. Two of them, one a towering Android, fully synthetic with a power output that surpassed anything Android 3 had scanned in her life. Next to him was a small, white skinned girl that was a cyborg, like the Devil's Pair, or Android 9. Even she paled in comparison in stature and power to the lumbering Android. "We were not perfected to your design though, Android 20."

"Well shoot," 13 shouted. "You're a big son of a bitch, huh?"

Android 20's face contorted into something even more furious. Android 3's small act of defiance seemed pitiful compared to what she was alive to see now. This Bulma woman was a bold women with such an insult to Android 20's ego.

"Android 20, Android 13, Android 14, and Android 15, you are threats to the planet Earth, and you will be dealt with accordingly," the small girl said, carrying a confident level of authority in her tone. "I would offer you the chance to surrender, but I know exactly what's in the dead heart of a cold mind like Doctor Gero's."

"What do ya say Doc?" 13 asked as he raised his fists. "Are we gonna take these brats down?" 20's eyes were fixated on Android 16's calm, motionless face.

"N-no! This...we'll move on to phase two." Android 3 could read the expression on 20's face. He was beyond angry, but through that, the computer brain worked away to the logical outcome. 20 remained calm. This was a small part of his overall goal. A plan not worth his time. "Congratulations. You get to live another day..."

Android 13 did not look pleased at being denied a battle. But he still disappeared with Android 20, as did 14 and 15.

Android 12 helped 3 up, pulling her against his body. He held onto her waist and floated gently out of the crater to rejoin the other two. The giant and the girl both turned to face 12 and 3 as they arrived. They were both staring behind the other pair, at the frightened looks of the nomad humans behind them.

Android 3 tried to process the arrival of the three newcomers. Maybe between fending off Android 20 and his gang, and 12 being reprogrammed by Bulma Brief, the Androids could garner a level of trust with the humans. In the small girl's case, her choice was to run right up to the humans and wave.

"Hello!" she greeted, seemingly unaware of the humans' panicked reactions. "I know Androids don't have the best reputation, but I promise we're friendly! I use to be human once myself. You can call me Nico. It's great to meet all of you!" The nomads said nothing. Over a hundred men and women, scared stiff by a young girl, all because she was an Android. The prolonged silence she seemed to catch on to. "Oh you're probably—because you were just attacked by—okay, wrong foot."

Android 12 sighed as the young girl continued to chatter nervously in a weak attempt to win the humans' trust. "Android 11, stop harassing the humans, and wait for Overseer Bulma to arrive." 11 groaned and turned around sharply, with her temper raised at 12.

"I think I can _talk_ to people." She turned to the nomads and offered them a bright smile. "I'm still human! I mean—," Her voice broke when she saw the fear reflected in their eyes. Android 3 watched 11's face sullen when she realized the people were scared of _her_. She looked absolutely pained by the revelation. "I um...s-sorry." She bowed her head to the nomads and then walked away. Android 11 returned to the group with her head bowed, looking ashamed of herself. "I guess I see why Bulma said to wait..." 11 looked up at Android 3, offering a soft smile at her. "You're Android 3? I guess you guys were a lot more advanced than I thought if two of you rebelled."

"Android 11, I presume?"

The white skinned Android shook her head, nose wrinkled in disgust. "No, that was my label. My _name_ is Nico. Just because Doctor Gero made me what I am, that doesn't change _who_ I am." She folded her arms over her chest, aiming her pout and glare at Android 12. "And his name is Nimu. You were put to sleep for being sentient, you're just as human as the rest of us!"

12 sighed, but gave a humorous smile to Nico's outbursts. "She's rather stubborn about that. Overseer Bulma insists it would be a wonderful idea to give us actual names, instead of numbers."

Android 3 looked up at the silent giant, staring blankly back at her. She went through the Androids that had been activated thus far. "I suppose it will help when Bulma Brief explains she reprogrammed you three. Can I guess that he's Android 16?"

"Reprogrammed?" 3 turned to meet Nico's confused stare. "We weren't reprogrammed."

"Overseer Bulma did not see a reason to reprogram us," 12 answered. "It was a 'flaw' that we all had based on Doctor Gero's vision. No programming personality could be fully rewritten. For models like Nico, it was their personality as a human. For fully synthetic creations like you, me, and 16, a personality program is needed so we're more than just drones." The black haired Android stared vacantly at 3's stoic face. "I...apologize, you're probably incredible bored."

Android 3 felt a wave of relief wash over her that she had never felt before. A personality that could never be changed, no matter how much programming was layered on top. She could be a person. Her calculations on the qustion left the answer up in the air. Inconclusive was indefinitely better than 'no.'

An aircraft was on approach. The Androids turned to the sky. Android 3 felt a pit in her stomach when she saw Trunks descending before the aircraft above him. If there was one person unlikely for mercy, it was the hot-headed son of the Prince of Saiyans.

* * *

His cry, born from a lust for vengeance, shattered a small rock formation, before an energy blast reduced it to a hole in the ground. Cooler seethed with fury as he was right back where he started. Hunting a lesser being for hours with no results to show for it. Alone.

The Armored Squadron would pay dearly if they were not busy delivering him Android heads on spikes. 17 was crippled, and with enough coordination, they could even have a chance to bring 18 down as well. It was a better chance than they would get from their master.

Cell was gone. The Devil's Pair were miles away. The Armored Squadron was missing, the Super Saiyan was around, and now there was a mutant melting pot of his family's genetics, along with the abilities and powers as their best warriors.

Enough was enough. Earth had taken up enough of his time.

Cooler took to the skies, flying towards where his personal ship was locked in orbit. He would scan for the Armored Squadron, then prepare to destroy the planet. He considered maybe destroying the sun instead, letting the Earth and its solar system collapse and die.

Once he reached his ship, the top entrance parted open for him. The King descended down into the top as the doors closed behind him. As the chamber decompressed, Cooler continued his fall into the ship, while his body shrank upon release of his Fifth Form.

The chamber finished once Cooler reached the bottom. He stepped into the empty halls of his ship. The lights and systems were running still as he moved to the bridge. The power was off until Cooler stepped in.

"Computer, search for the Armored Squadron and send a signal to them to be ready for pickup!" The King descended the stairs and reached the main console on the bridge. He typed in the encoded call to Planetary Trade Organization Headquarters.

The screen came alive to the image of Suika standing in command. _"Sir, it's good to see you again. I got worried when there was no radio contact. But your ship is still transmitting."_

"Suika, prepare for my return. I'm searching for the Armored Squadron, and then I'm scrubbing this damned mission."

The General's face lit up with relief. _"I shall prepare the forces for your arrival. It will be good to have our King back on the throne."_

There. That was where he belonged. Sitting in the throne, ruling his Empire. Not on some backwater planet, chasing ghosts and hunting for glory. They would be dead all the same. What did it matter if he didn't kill the Super Saiyan, or Cell, or the Androids himself?

 _You couldn't kill the Super Saiyan either? HA! You know, for all your boasting, you're still not quite as strong as you claim, are you Cooler?_

He tensed. That wretched voice, still haunting, still laughing. Cooler wondered if that voice would ever leave if he just blew up the planet. It didn't matter. He would be the first in his family to _survive_ a Super Saiyan. He had proven to himself that he was stronger than a Super Saiyan.

 _Are you too afraid to face your past? To face us?_

That mocking laughter from his father echoed on the bridge. "I am afraid of _nothing_!"

" _Sir? What did you say?"_

Cooler could feel them standing behind him. Their phantom images standing before him as clear as day. Frieza and Cold smiled with cruel contempt at the would-be King, laughing and mocking his claim to the title. Behind his brother and father, standing in the dark was a third figure, obscured by Cold's gigantic form.

The Arcosian Empress stepped forward. Cooler could not bear to face her when he felt that heated stare, full of contempt.

 _You were too weak...to save me._

Cooler violently shut them all out. He forced his focus on the present, not the past, and not on those damn voices.

The ship's scanners picked up the signal of the Armored Squadron's scouters. Salza's was still online, and transmitting. He opened up a connection with Salza's scouter. "Armored Squadron, come in. Salza, do you hear me?" Silence. "Salza!"

The ship's power fluctuated, powering up just as quickly as it instantaneously shut down. The King looked around hesitantly. "Suika...?"

" _Sir, is something wrong with your transmitter? S-sir?"_

Cooler turned to the screen and witnessed the screen cutting out. Someone was on his ship.

The tyrant turned to storm his own vessel, when he turned and saw that his navigations had kicked in. The warp drive for his ship had been activated, the coordinates charted down towards Earth. At the distance he was holding, he would have less than two seconds for the warp drive to bring him crashing down to the planet's surface.

"What is this?!" The ship gave a sudden, violent pull, tossing Cooler across the bridge.

* * *

The spaceship tore across the sky, before it crashed like a comet in the ground. Even from their distance, the sound of the crash thundered loudly.

Android 20's attempt to deal with Son Gohan had failed, at least he could take care of the Arcosian terror. The Red Ribbon Army's dormant surveillance, along with the data he took from the Red Ribbon's computers after his activation warned the Super Computer of Cooler's arrival. Previous battles with its family, and it with the previous generations of Androids told 20 that he was a threat.

"Ship brought down successfully," Android 20 announced. "Excellent work, 15." The miniature Android, Android 15, was one of the more advanced purely synthetic creations Doctor Gero made. With Android 20's improvements, 15 was able to transmit his signal to the tyrant's vessel, and subsequently crash it.

"Not a problem, Mister 20." 15 had wires running from his hand into the scouter that Android 20 stole from the alien forces he encountered. The plan was to originally use the ship as a warhead for any major threats they found, but 15 had detected a power source in the ship. Android 20 figured that the least he could do was take one victory after the day.

The Androids flew across the valley and moved toward the tower of smoke rolling out from the crash site. The trench went on for nearly a mile, leaving debris scattered the entire way. The ship was more durable than 20 could have conceived. Only half of it was torn away, and blown to bits, but the other half was largely intact. Albeit battered, scorched, and falling apart, it was doubtful that anything could have survived the crash.

Android 20 had the scouter again in his hand. The key to breaking the King, and bringing his castle down on him. There would be retaliation for yet another death. And another. But with his vision completed, nothing in the universe could threaten them.

Maybe the next death would finally send a message to empire of the stars.

A pile of scrap fell, causing the four Androids to turn their heads toward the sound. A purple barrier dropped more pieces of metal around it. Android 20 smiled at the heart of the radiated barrier: Cooler. Despite the Arcosian monarch's survival, he was worse for wear. He was battered, broken, covered in bruises, burns, and cuts all over his body. The Arcosian race was a model of endurance.

"Well, now I see why you didn't wanna take that bet, Doc," 13 said. "You were wrong again."

His wrinkled frown pressed, glaring at the back of 13's head. "Go destroy him." Cooler shot a spiteful look at the four of them. 13 laughed at the broken King and gave the Arcosian a shrug.

"Welp, your majesty, looks like your luck ran out." The Android dashed forward, cutting across debris and flames, dirt flying past him as he raced toward Cooler.

The tyrant struck back, throwing a striking fist at 13's face. The Android stopped just short of the attack and grasped Cooler's wrist. 13 grinned and drove his other fist across Cooler's face. He secured his grip on the tyrant's arm, holding him in place while striking Cooler in the face again, and again. 13's punishing strikes only spread their range of where they landed, crossing throughout his chest and gut before focusing on his face again.

13 jumped into the air, spearing the side of Cooler's head with a roundhouse kick. Cooler was sent flying across the wreckage. He crashed through a flaming debris before he hit the ground and started skidding across the charred dirt.

"C'mon, is that all you got?" 13 wiped his thumb under his nose and laughed as he walked the trail towards Cooler. "I mean, the last one of you came back with half his face, and an arm missing, and nothing left of him from the waist down. You still got all that and more, and you can't put up a fight." 13 chuckled, letting a malicious grin spread on his face under Cooler's defiant glare back at him. "Maybe we should change that. See if it makes any improvements, huh?"

13 prepared to move forward, to begin the painful torture of the broken King. Before he could, a blurring figure shot across the edge of his vision, and drove a powerful fist in his face.

Cooler's eyes widened at his golden haired savior, whose attack managed to stop the Android, and knock his hat off of his head. As it fell through the air, Cooler saw the symbol on the hat. He realized that his Android problem had just multiplied.

13 twisted around to face Gohan with a furious scowl. The Saiyan met that fury with a steely gaze and moved to strike again. 13 blocked Gohan's second strike, and retaliated with an upward kick. Gohan pulled his head to the side, rolling with the movement to drive his elbow in a backwards strike to 13's jaw. 13 stumbled back from Gohan, his head tilting towards the ground where Gohan speared it down to. The country Android simply scowled and spat to his left.

"Doc, should I just keep a tally score of how many times you've been wrong? This is only your third time today."

Gohan's gaze shifted to the old Android and his two cohorts. He had no doubt that he was doomed if all four of them jumped him at once. "Get him up now!"

The Armored Squadron had secured Cooler's safety thanks to Gohan's intervention. Dore and Neiz stood as guards while Salza presented Cooler with the one Senzu Bean they were gifted by Gohan. "Sire, trust us, zhis will give you your strengzh back."

Cooler shot his lieutenant a spiteful look. "You look like hell lieutenant. We're going to have a discussion about your timing later." The King took the bean out from Salza's hand and placed it in his mouth. Whatever magical effects those beans had worked, as Cooler felt an enormous boost to his power by the time he swallowed them.

He stood up on his own. It was far from his max, but now Cooler wasn't standing at death's door. It was more than enough to wreck havoc on the Androids that not only tried to kill him, but _stranded_ him on a backwater planet.

Cooler's power erupted with the anger and fury of a destructive volcano. Salza, Dore, and Neiz were all thrown clear from the tyrant's immediate presence as his aura tore through everything in its wake.

Gohan stood firmly in front of the hurricane that was rolling off of Cooler after being brought back from the clutches of death. Android 13 was confident, but even he didn't like his odds without backup. "So Doc, I think with these two workin' together, that makes...your fourth time. What's the play here?" Android 20 frowned at their odds, knowing that it took only a moment for Cooler to snap at them like a mad dog.

"Retreat," he ordered spitefully.

"NO!" Cooler's bellowing voice caused his rampaging power to spike as he charged towards them. The Androids were gone before he passed Gohan, and were faster than the furious King expected. With no energy signatures to follow, there was no trail left behind by the new Androids. "Damn it! Not again! GET BACK HERE!"

"Cooler!" The King spun quickly, hesitating just long enough to stave off the impulse to kill Gohan then and there. "What we're doing isn't working. Your men, and now you yourself were nearly just killed by those Androids. If I'm going to stand a chance against them, _and_ whatever that other thing you're chasing is, I'm going to need your help."

Cooler laughed at the humble man's request. "You want to join forces? Very well monkey, you get your planet saved long enough for me to kill you. Why would I bother staving off your destruction?"

"Oh, I could think of a few reasons." Cooler's briefly lived humor was quickly torn away by a furiously impatient scowl. "First being that if we work together, we can win, and we both know that. Secondly, I can give you a ship. And thirdly..." Gohan hesitated, but Cooler listened after being promised a ship. Now the Super Saiyan had his attention. "I can make you more powerful..."

Cooler sensed the hesitation in Gohan's voice. A secret the Saiyan didn't want to share. A promise of power, more power. Enough power to silence his voices once and for all. "How...?"

* * *

Android 20 and the others had fled yet again from their enemies. Clearly he was left quite the task in taking on Gero's legacy. His own legacy. A legacy of perfection. "We move on to the next phase. Search for Androids 17 and 18. Bring them in alive, but...feel free to cripple them if necessary."

"Well then..." 13, 14, and 15 all turned toward the new voice, while Android 20 tensed up with excitement. He turned around, seeing his ultimate creation standing over their heads on a small rock formation. "Seems like we've got a funny coincidence, friend..."

Android 20 grinned with delight upon seeing it brought to life. "My son..."

The creature laughed with amusement, taking in the baffled looks of his fellow Androids. The only look that mattered was the joyous expression that the familiar old man wore. "So...dad...what this plan you have in mind?"

* * *

 **I know there was kind of a wait for this one, that was kind of my fault. I started this new thing with my stories to help my process flow more smoothly from chapter to chapter. Anyway, I got wrapped up writing the outlines for the chapters for my Destiny fanfiction, and its sequels, and I did a few chapters for Frigid Future, then I had to redo half of the Destiny chapter I had almost finished before I started editing it, so I worked on this to no fall behind in writing.**

 **But you don't care about my process.**

 **THIS CHAPTER WAS SO LONG. It also was written within a week honestly. I've spent a lot of my time gaming lately, and adjusting to a new sleep schedule while sleeping poorly to begin with, plus a new job and worrying about bills, and blah.**

 **Again, you don't care about that junk.**

 **Hopefully the chapter was worth the wait. I literally finished writing and editing it just today. That's how bad I feel about taking so long with an update xP But Gohan has a mysterious proposal for Cooler, Cell meets with Android 20, and Bulma has activated more Androids! I mentioned that this story was going to get a little crazy, didn't I?**

 **So, actual author's notes here, I was actually debating for Android 3 to die fighting 19 originally, but I know a lot of you guys enjoyed her character, so I decided not to. And now the new trio of Androids will take center stage as the Android heroes for this story! Everybody knows Android 16 of course. Androids 11 and 12 are slight tweaks of the Dragon Ball Hero characters that I shamelessly adapted to the story. So now you've been introduced to the Android line, 1-20. As you can tell, my OCD would not let this go when I decided to do an Android-centric story line.**

 **That being said, I did have a small idea of possibly doing a side story-esc thing. Basically I would write out Doctor Gero's research notes out in his 'files' for each Android. Each file is a chapter in the story. It wouldn't do much besides offer some deeper insight and backstory to the Androids of the story. If you'd like something like that, I could definitely probably swing it to give my mind something simple to work on without falling behind again. Just let me know and junk with reviews.**

 **Thanks for reading this far!**


	10. Chapter 10: Trust, Redemption, Betrayal

They cut through the clouds and pushed ever higher, following Gohan's lead. After quelling Cooler's rage long enough to offer him a bargain, Gohan realized how risky his gamble had suddenly turned on him. He was outnumbered, and with Cooler's additional transformation, he didn't stand a ghost of a chance. If Namek had taught Gohan anything, it was to swallow morals and pride long enough to survive the impossible odds stacked against you. He fought alongside Vegeta, a man who was their sworn enemy at the time, against Frieza's forces on Namek. With only himself, Krillin, and Bulma on Namek, none of them stood a chance against Frieza's forces without Vegeta to help them.

The enemy of my enemy seemed to only make uneasy allies. Gohan would just have to convince Cooler it was better to work together than it was to blow each other to pieces.

He only hoped that Tien's old hunch was right. If Mister Popo didn't have something that could help them, Gohan would have to come up with another bargain, or face Cooler's wrath.

The Lookout finally came into view. Gohan heard faint sounds of astonishment from the Armored Squadron. Undoubtedly, Cooler's silence was a reflection that he only had one goal in mind. "It's right up there. Mister Popo is a nice guy, so I'd appreciate it if you all would be on your best behavior."

"Just hurry up, monkey!"

"Always barking," Gohan muttered with a nervous smile on his face. He and the others reached the Lookout, landing across from the main temple. He looked back, meeting Cooler's harsh stare, but also noting the curious looks on the Armored Squadron's face as they examined the Lookout.

"Zhis place is...fascinating. How does zhis structure stay afloat?" Salza cupped his chin, reflecting on the possibilities. "Perhaps some sort of levitation device? Its stonework seems ancient to house such sophisticated technology..."

"Actually..." Gohan smiled when he heard Mister Popo's voice. He turned to meet his old friend as the Lookout's caretaker approached the party. "It's an ancient ritual set in place millennium ago that—,"

"GAH!" Salza's cry caught Gohan, Dore, and Neiz's attention. Gohan was baffled when he saw that even Cooler had a tense look on his face. "Zh-zh-zhat is—,"

Dore and Neiz were quick to raise their arms in defense, the latter giving a startled squawk of fear that reflected plainly in their eyes. "Wh-what the hell?!" Dore bellowed. "First Saiyans, now Neronians?! What other dead races is this planet hiding?!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down!" Gohan was quick to move to Popo's defense. "I promise, Mister Popo isn't a threat!"

Cooler retained his posture, but his scowl was aimed only at Popo now. Gohan noticed the very sutble, uneasy tension in Cooler's posture as he stared at the peaceful caretaker. "I wouldn't think you would be stupid enough to work with a Neronian, monkey. Even if you were, Neronians serve no one except themselves." The tyrant's eyes shifted back to Gohan, with such fury that the Saiyan halfling was worried he would be burned under the heated glare.

Mister Popo stepped forward. The Armored Squadron tensed up immediately, ready for a fight, but Cooler watched carefully with a critical eye. "I can assure you, I have been on Earth for over a thousand years. And I think you can sense as well as I can that I'm no threat to you."

His words seemed to calm Cooler down, only a bit. It still looked as though he wasn't going to lower his guard around Popo though. Whatever Neronians were, Gohan was glad he didn't have to face one. "So what is this secret of yours, monkey? You promised me more power."

Gohan looked at Popo. The Lookout's caretaker stared down at the ground with a look of guilt on his face before meeting Gohan's gaze. "Are you certain this is the wisest course of action?"

Gohan beamed at Popo with a relieved grin. Popo _did_ have something that could help. "Well, I won't know until you tell me what it is you're hiding, Mister Popo."

The attendant laughed and shook his head. "A man of action. So very much like your father." Popo looked at Earth's foreign visitors for a moment, and then back to Gohan. "I suppose I still owe you that explanation."

"Let's get ourselves powered up first, before Cooler loses his head over there."

"No." All eyes were on the tyrant. His glare was fixed on Gohan. "I don't trust that you've had a secret weapon all this time and just refused to use it until now. Explain your story, and _if_ I buy it, I might not destroy you, Neronian."

"Ever the skeptic," Gohan said with a wistful sigh.

Popo bowed his head thankfully to Cooler before he turned his back on them. "If you all will follow me, I will explain on the way." Gohan followed Popo to the temple with his fingers laced loosely together behind his head. He couldn't help but notice the healthy distance Cooler was keeping from them. Their caution would be a little less obvious, if the Armored Squadron wasn't trailing even further behind their master.

"So," Gohan said. "You said the Lookout disappeared after Kami...passed on, right?"

"Yes," Popo replied calmly. The deaths of his friends and loved ones still pained Gohan when he thought about it. He knew Kami and Mister Popo were close, but he wasn't entirely sure how thirteen years of isolation would affect a person. Seeing as how Popo was over a thousand years old though, it didn't seem unlikely that he would be over Kami's death. Or as over it as you could get when someone you've known for centuries.

"When Piccolo died saving you during the Saiyan invasion, and Kami died then too, I knew you all wouldn't be able to come to the Lookout. That was why I came to you all instead in order to help. You see, without a Guardian, the Lookout disappears from the eyes of mortals. It was a spell that one of the earliest Guardians set in place, so that in the event of their deaths, nobody could use the Lookout or its ancient gifts for themselves. That was why it was gone shortly after Piccolo and Kami's deaths at the hands of the Androids."

Gohan's heart gave a dull, painful twist in his chest. "We honestly just thought that the Red Ribbon Androids destroyed it while we tried to deal with 17 and 18..."

"They would have certainly tried," Popo said. "As fate would have it, they arrived shortly after Kami's death, before you and the others arrived, to find nothing. There was only one chance to help, and I quickly tried to find a new Guardian in Kami's passing. But with so much death and destruction, the energies of Earth were very unbalanced, making the search to find the next Guardian almost impossible. And by the time that Tien, Krillin, and the others fell..."

Gohan placed his hand on Popo's shoulder. He squeezed firmly to assure the attendant that he didn't need to blame himself. "They'd want us to move forward," Gohan said. "And finally beat these monsters for good." Popo nodded his head, giving Gohan a bright smile.

"So very much like your father."

Gohan returned the smile. He had never been so far into the inner workings of the Lookout before. They had passed countless doors and rooms, many of which had Gohan very curious about what was in all of them. How many rooms could two people possibly need?

There was one door in particular that Popo stopped in front of. It appeared to be a fairly standard, heavy wooden door with a clock above it. Gohan stopped in front of it next to Mister Popo with a curious look. Cooler and his men stopped further away, standing halfway down the hall.

"This is it," Popo said, nodding to the door. "Beyond this doorway lies a dimension separated from ours. The only connection to that place is from this very door. It is called the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Inside this chamber, the passage of time moves very differently than out here." The attendant looked at Gohan, and then to Cooler. "One day in our dimension equals one whole year beyond this door."

Gohan's jaw dropped at the revelation. Even Cooler and his men were surprised by the rather startling news. "A-are you serious?!"

Popo nodded his head and turned back to Gohan. "But I should warn you, the conditions inside the chamber are very extreme. The air is difficult to breathe, and it gets worse the further you go into the chamber. The gravity is heavier than that of Earth, and the temperatures fluctuate wildly from hot to cold at a moment's notice. Your father even attempted to use this place while he trained with Kami, before you were born. Despite our protests, he entered. He only spent a month inside, roughly two hours in our world."

The thought of something even his father couldn't handle did not fill Gohan with confidence. But the trade off was outstanding to say the least. Spend a day, gain a year. It definitely would have given the Z Fighters an edge against the Androids.

"Zh-zhat...zhat is impossible!"

"Crafty Neronians and their damn tricks," Neiz scowled. "We should waste them both now your highness!"

Gohan and Popo both looked at Cooler, who knew that he would have the final, and only, say on the matter. The tyrant's scarlet eyes were fixed on the door. Gohan could practically hear the gears turning in Cooler's head, debating on whether or not to trust them.

"I saved your life against those Androids," Gohan finally said. Cooler's eyes shifted to him. "Against the Devil's Pair, and those new Androids. I even saved the lives of your men, when I could have left them to die in the mountains. I need your help in order to stop the Androids. You help me save my planet, and I'll fight you, one-on-one just like you wanted."

Cooler's fury seemed to ebb before he put his eyes on the door in front of him. Gohan could see the tyrant going over his options. Whatever title or fame Cooler sought, he had his own personal stake against the Androids now. They stole his prize, attacked him, tried to kill him and his men, and crashed his ship, stranding them on a dying world. Gohan offered him the easiest path to what he wanted; revenge and to get off the planet. Together, they had a chance of saving Earth, though that was far from Cooler's list of priorities. All Gohan needed was more time. And a powerful ally to bring his enemies down.

"Very well," Cooler said. Gohan gave a sigh of relief. One problem down. "You and I will go in to train in this...alternate dimension, together."

Gohan shook his head. "Not me. Your men can't sit around idly, and the can't sense power levels. They're going to need someone to guide them if we're going to try to keep up the hunt for the Androids and Cell." Cooler narrowed his eyes, a subtle sign of his displeasure. Gohan met the monarch's glare with a determined smile. "Besides, I've got a partner in mind for who I'm going in with. Not to mention you already have a head start in terms of power."

The tyrant snarled and dropped his arms, tightening his fists to suppress his anger. Gohan had no doubt that if he and Cooler entered together, one of two things would happen. They would either come out with the power to shake worlds, or one of them would ultimately die inside at the hands of the other. With his money being on the latter, Gohan couldn't afford to risk Earth's safety all at once.

"I shall entire wizh you, sire." Cooler's blue skinned lieutenant, and his right-hand man, Salza, stepped forward. "If you will accept me as your sparring partner, I will gladly lay down my life, if need be, to help you increase your power to its maximum potenzial."

Gohan was surprised by Salza's proposal. Even in his base form, Gohan could defeat the Armored Squadron on his own without any assistance. They were formidable to be sure, and if they were anything like the uniquely skilled Ginyu Force, it wouldn't be an easy victory to achieve either way. But with Cooler as a sparring partner, Salza was giving himself over to the hands of death itself. His comrades, Dore and Neiz, were stunned into silence by Salza's willingness to be part of an endeavor that would ultimately end with his demise.

Cooler's expression remained unreadable.

"You realize that I do not plan to be merciful if you enter beyond this point with me," he said. "Regardless of who enters with me, if anyone does, I will spend every minute to becoming stronger." Cooler pivoted to face his lieutenant fully. "I will not show you the slightest ounce of mercy, if you choose to get in my way."

Salza fell to one knee and bowed his head down. "We failed you one too many times on zhis campaign, my lord. We failed to destroy zhe leader of zhe Red Ribbon Army. We were ambushed and overwhelmed by a single Android, and could not warn you in time of zhe new zhreat." The Brench slammed his knuckles into the stone floor, placing his other hand across his chest. "You yourself said zhat if we failed you just once after Android 1 escaped you zhe first time, you would destroy us. I will gladly atone for zhese failures, as leader of zhe Armored Squadron, your most illustrious fighting team, and take zhe full brunt of zhese failures."

"W-wait, hold on," Dore protested.

"Dore managed to destroy one of zhe weaker Androids, and hold off zhree of zhem on his own," Salza shouted, drowning out Dore's defense. "Wizhout any backup. He is a warrior worthy of serving you."

"Salza, you can't—,"

"Neiz followed every command I gave down to zhe letter," Salza continued. "His abilities, his coordination wizh my attacks were nozhing short of flawless. Do not blame zhem for zhe failings of my leadership. Please, allow me to make amends for zhe stains of my failures."

Gohan never expected to see a soldier of the same army that invaded Namek to show such honor, such selflessness. They were all butchers, bullies, and he had no delusions that the Armored Squadron had killed their fair share of innocents. Their final moments always portrayed them as cowards when facing a more dangerous threat. In Salza, he did not see a monster. He saw a warrior led by honor and driven by valor. It was a trait even Cooler seemed to recognize.

The tyrant stared down at Salza, and then looked up at Dore and Neiz. Neither of them would step forward, nor would they try to protest. The only person with the power to deny Salza was Cooler himself.

"Very well, Salza." Cooler turned around to face the door. "Say your farewells now."

Salza rose to his feet with a proud smile on his face. "Zhank you, my lord." The lieutenant turned to Dore and Neiz. Despite their bloodthirsty nature, even they couldn't hide the emotions on their faces. Salza acted out of duty to aid Cooler, but also sacrificed himself to spare Dore and Neiz from the same fate. "Bozh of you...listen to zhe Super Saiyan until Lord Cooler returns. He will be your best chance for survival wizhout our King. You two can make zhe most of zhis lesson. Bring honor to our master's name. You both have zhe makings to be our master's new Generals, if you took your assignments a bit more seriously."

"R-right," Dore replied, swallowing down his stirring emotions.

"With all due respect to you, my King," Neiz turned his eyes down to his comrade, his friend, "give him hell, Salza."

Salza smiled, putting one hand across his chest and the other behind his back as he bowed his head to both soldiers. They returned the gesture, a sign of respect between comrades, brothers-in-arms. Gohan couldn't help but remember the last few days he had with the remaining Z Fighters, all those years ago. Despite the atrocities the three of them were undoubtedly responsible for, Gohan sympathized with the Armored Squadron.

Salza turned to join Cooler, but Gohan stopped him first. The lieutenant looked at him in shock, not expecting the hero to say anything. "Here." Gohan held out a sack of Senzu Beans. "I have a feeling you might need these." He placed the bag in Salza's hand. The soldier nodded his head with a smile.

"Zhank you." He looked back at Dore and Neiz. Gohan followed his eyes to the stiff lipped warriors. "Take care of zhem, Saiyan."

"On my honor," Gohan promised. Salza nodded before he finally joined Cooler's side.

Popo stood before them with his hand on the door. When Cooler nodded his head, the attendant opened the entrance to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

* * *

"There, how's that?" Android 3 tested her legs once she felt them come back online. Truly, Bulma was a genius comparable to Doctor Gero himself.

"It works," 3 stated. She looked up at the smiling genius, feeling embarrassed once again by such blatant kindness. "Thank you very much."

"You risked your life to save these people," Bulma said. "Patching up some of the damage is the least I could do."

The damage Android 3 received was something of a saving grace. The fake flesh Gero used to make the Androids human in appearance was torn or scorched away, revealing the bare mechanical bones of 3's body. It made access to the damaged areas, and subsequent repairs, easier, although 3 was far from fighting condition.

Android 12, Nimu, was working on her internal injuries from an access panel hidden under her back. By pushing her power generator above and beyond its limitations, several of her primary system functions were overheated, overloaded, blown up, or melted. The fact that 3 was functioning to begin with was nothing short of a miracle. Nimu's speed and accuracy with her repairs on the other hand, was simply miraculous. In the time it took Bulma to get power back to both of 3's legs, Nimu had nearly repaired and mended all of the major damages to her body that he could. As luck had it, Bulma took some extra parts with her from Doctor Gero's laboratory.

The nomads that Android 3 had saved were gone, save for Chi-Chi, who stayed behind. The Resistance was moving them to a more secure location, rather than risk another attack from Android 20. The people were gathering their possessions and resources, whatever they could bring with them from their homes to move to another location. 3 guessed that they would be moved to the former Red Ribbon Army base, which was now in Resistance control.

"Overseer Bulma, could I have a moment of your time?"

The Resistance leader rolled her eyes with a smile. She had already corrected Nimu twice that it was not necessary to call her Overseer since 3 had met them. Bulma winked at 3 before leaving her sight to join Nimu.

With her saviors out of sight, 3 observed the others near her. Android 11, Nico, and Android 16 stood watch a fair distance away, in case Android 20 returned. Bulma's son, Trunks, made his distaste for 3 apparent with little more than a series of hateful stares. She couldn't blame him for his anger. She knew one act could not make up for the years she had contributed to Earth's destruction.

Android 3 was pulled out of her thoughts when Chi-Chi sat in front of her. She looked down, unable to look the woman in the eyes. "So...Treet, huh?"

If it were possible, 3 believed she might have blushed. "It was the best I could come up with on the fly," she admitted. Her mind was set for logic and analyzing, not fabricating names. "I...I am very sorry I lied to you. I swear, I never meant you or anyone else any harm."

Chi-Chi grabbed 3's hands and squeezed firmly. "I believe you," she said. The Android felt a calming wave of relief at the woman's sincere words. "I think...if my husband were still alive, I think he would believe you too. I think he would forgive you too, for helping us. For wanting to change."

Son Goku. A man that 3 had only ever met through battle, but a man she knew intimately thanks to Gero's obsession with trying to destroy him. Above his strength, his power, his martial arts skills, above his ability to overcome any strife, Son Goku was known for his kindness. Android 3 still wondered if she was worth redemption.

Nico joined them with a bright, beaming smile, aimed towards Android 3. When the redhead didn't even look up, Nico turned to Bulma. "How is she? Will her body be able to handle an Infinite Generator like Nimu's?"

"That's what we're discussing right now," Nimu replied. Bulma walked in front of Android 3, kneeling down between Nico and Chi-Chi.

"Android 3?" She looked up at the Overseer. She wondered what had changed about their original plan. With an Infinite Generator and her skills, she would be an invaluable asset to defeating Android 20. "Most of your injuries are fixed up. You should be able to move on your own now, but there's still a few touch-ups I need to work on once I have better equipment. Your generator though, is actually still intact."

"I realize this," she stated bluntly. If it was blown out, she would be deactivated, rather than running on the last bit of energy left.

"Well...we could continue with the original plan, and outfit you with the same power source as some of the other Androids. But, with some work, Nimu and I can stabilize your current generator with the power left so it won't drain the remaining energy."

"It would not affect your brain, or your intelligence in any way," Nimu added. "Your mind would still be as advanced as a super computer's, and you would still be capable of feats that most humans would not be."

"Simply put, you'd be..." Bulma waited, mulling over her choice of words. "As close to an ordinary as possible, just with a few extra perks. You wouldn't be a fighter like the others, but more like...Android 8."

The proposal confused her. "Are...you saying you don't want me to help?"

"I think she's saying the choice is yours," Chi-Chi corrected.

Android 3 furrowed her brow. "I...I'm an Android though. And...I am to blame for the condition the world has been put in. Making me an asset is the logical course of action."

"And you helped keep the world from becoming a darker place," Chi-Chi added. Android 3 finally looked up to meet the kind woman's gaze. "You risked your life to save just a handful of us. Without you, I'd be in the clutches of some murderous Android, and everyone else..." She said nothing. It was clear that even the thought of more death pained Chi-Chi. "Your actions today showed your sincerity to change. This is your chance."

"I..." She looked away from Chi-Chi again. There was too much death unanswered for. She would be an outcast, hated and shunned by the rest of the humans for what she was. She was an Android. She couldn't possibly be anything else. "I...I will help hunt for Android 20. It is the least I can do..."

"Do not make this choice out of obligation." All eyes turned up to Android 16, who was standing next to Nico, towering over everyone as always. "We will hunt down Android 20, and any other threats to this world. You have already proven your loyalty to the people of Earth with your actions."

"One act is not enough to forgive the things I have done."

"Forgiveness comes with time, and patience. You have shown humanity that you are willing to lay down your life for them. You must be willing to live in peace for yourself. If we are to ever live in harmony, we must all take steps towards acceptance."

Living together with humanity. Living in harmony. Something that would only come with acceptance, not just from humans, but from them as well. Android 16, Nico, and Nimu, they had the same desire she did; to live in peace.

Their hands were clean of the bloodshed that brought Earth to where it was now. They would show humanity their redemption and trust by fighting for them. Android 3 could show the same, not through war, but through an act of peace. She broke her chains that tied her to being a cold machine of destruction through her own merit. Now she had the opportunity to have that threat striped away for good. To be accepted, not feared, like she wanted.

Android 3 looked back up at 16. He showed no emotion, but she knew that he was sincere in his determination to bring down Android 20 for good, to defend humanity in her stead. She turned to Bulma, her choice made, but not without her own share of concern.

"I trust them to accomplish what I could not. These three will protect humanity, and I...I want to earn humanity's trust. Please, stabilize my energy generator so humanity will see I no longer mean to threaten them..."

Bulma returned her smile and nodded. "Nimu, you heard the girl."

"Right away Overseer."

Android 3 looked back up at 16. The two exchanged a respectful nod before the giant Android walked back to his post standing watch. Nico, ever curious, followed and joined 16 in staring out into the distance quietly.

Nico looked back at Android 3. She was...smiling. Android 3 was genuinely happy with her choice it seemed. "Hey, 16?" The brunette looked up at the towering giant. "Why did you tell Android 3 not to get an Infinite Generator? With her mind and abilities, she would have been like having a second version of Nimu on hand."

"I simply told her not to act out of obligation. She would be a useful fighter, but she does not want to be a fighter. I left the choice up to her, and her alone."

"Oh! I understand now." It was something Nico took for granted, something all humans took for granted. Android 3 was like 16 and Nimu; fully mechanical, but with a true spark of life, of free will that developed over time. "I guess if we told her what to do, we'd be no better than Doctor Gero, or Android 9 trying to control her..."

Android 16 smiled. "I am glad you understand. It will be a long road to live in harmony on this planet, with its people. But I believe Android 3 is not beyond redemption."

Nico jumped off the ground so she could punch 16's shoulder in a playful manner. "Hey! Give humans some credit! I was one too, remember?" The giant turned his smile to meet Nico's own happy expression.

The albino Android took a seat on 16's vacant shoulder as they looked out into the distance. Redemption was never an easy road, and either choice Android 3 could have made would have been the right one. Nico was glad that 3 was able to make the choice she wanted to make, rather than have it forced on her. But if humanity could forgive her, perhaps redemption wasn't as impossible to achieve for any of them as it seemed.

* * *

The Androids saw Jingle Village sitting at the edge of their vision. Packed with civilians and soldiers, a populace almost ten times the size of the gathering nomads in the mountains. A perfect buffet of energy for Cell to partake in.

Android 20 smiled with delight, standing next to his ultimate creation. "Well, you certainly know how to get on my good side, Android 20." Cell's tail wriggled around with excitement.

"With any luck, we will have more than enough time for you to eat your fill," 20 spoke. "And with your new increase in power, not even that miserable tyrant can stand against you." Cell had told them about Cooler's unexpected new form, and the power it gave him. But that wouldn't matter once Cell achieved his perfect form. Nothing could stand in his way "The rest of you, make sure to gather and restrain all the humans for Cell! Not a single one is to escape, understand?"

Android 13 frowned, but gave an obedient nod. "You got it, Doc."

13, 14, 15, and Cell all charged towards the village. Within seconds, screams, gunshots, and explosions echoed over the frozen lands while 20 watched with sadistic delight. Cell would feast, breaking down and devouring civilian and soldier alike as quickly as he could. The Androids herded the people in like sheep, making sure they could not escape Cell's gluttonous hunger.

With no heroes to stand in their way, Jingle Village was defenseless, ripe for their taking. Cell's power would grow, making the apprehension of 17 and 18 easier. And the attack would undoubtedly be a mighty blow to the last heroes of Earth.

* * *

She dropped him on the nearest surface like a sack of bricks. "OW! Jeez, will you watch it?" 18 rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Of course you'd make me carry your worthless ass all the way here."

"Have some sympathy, would ya?"

She ignored her brother's plight for the moment and looked around Gero's laboratory. The capsules for the preteens, the Red Ribbon Androids, as well as their own were still hanging open and gathering dust. What drew 18's eye was the opening in the wall that she had never seen before in her life. The perpetual darkness was not an inviting sight.

"Stay here."

17 lifted up his leg, showcasing the hole in his knee. "Trust me, I can't go very far on my own."

Android 18 descended down the stairs. As she did, a strange sense of deja vu came over her. She had never known that Gero had a secret basement, but the further down she went the more familiar it became.

When she got to the bottom of the staircase, she knew there was some dormant part of her memory that knew this terrible place. Gero's laboratory upstairs was bare bones compared to the equipment and machinery he had hidden below. Aside from the lights and a single computer, everything was dead and shut down.

18 approached the computer, its screen blank. The computer was set up just in front of a row of more familiar capsules, each of which were opened and empty, unmistakably identical to their own upstairs. "Shit..." There were no spare Androids to tear apart in order to fix her brother. They were all activated and running around. "Shit!" Even in his death, Gero was absolutely useless to them. And in death he was still a pain in the ass with more inferior hunks of junk.

Eight more capsules were opened. Eight more Androids were activated and doing who knows what. With any luck they might give that space tyrant some trouble for the time being. She had to get 17 up on his feet again. They wouldn't make the same mistake. Next time, Gohan and his alien friends would be dead in the ground.

Android 18 moved to the computer and typed away. Gero would have files on how to repair them. She just had to find them first. Without schematics or something to go off of, 18 would be working blind when repairing her brother. Old files were pulled up from the computer, files about the Androids that had been activated.

Androids 11 through 16, 19, and 20. She skimmed through the files, each complete with a picture to go along with Gero's own personal notes. 18 always assumed that she and 17 were the pinnacle of what Gero hoped to achieve. She never asked about the older models.

They weren't the only humans turned into machines. Androids 11 and 13 before them were both humans once.

18 felt sick reading about Android 11, how Gero lied to a grieving family in order to take a dying girl away from them. It wasn't unlike how the Devil's Pair encountered Gero and were abducted in the same way. The difference was the girl who would become Android 11 was taken from her family. Both 17 and 18 had no family to be taken away from.

Android 13 was a former officer of the Red Ribbon Army, until he was killed in battle by an explosion that destroyed almost half of his body. The former captain's brain was left in one piece though, and with enough implants and replacement parts, Android 13 was born. Gero put him back on ice for enhancements and personality tweaks later, and never had the chance to reactivate him.

She moved through the rest of the files without care, until she reached the final one. Android 20, Doctor Gero himself. 18 felt an icy chill run through her body when she saw the face of that madman again.

Inside the file for Android 20, it explained how Gero would not be able to live long enough to complete his work. He was trying to achieve immortality through his own means. He never gave up on his goal to hunt down and destroy Goku. She had no doubt that he would be coming for them too, sooner or later.

"Shit..." 18 took one final look around the basement to ensure there was nothing she could use to fix her brother before racing back up the stairs. If Gero was alive, and an Android, they were in danger just standing in his house.

17 sat up when she entered the laboratory. "Took you long enough. Did you find any—HEY!" She threw her mouthy brother over her shoulder, and sprinted out of the hellhole as quickly as she could. "Hey! What gives?!"

18 took off to the sky, gaining as much distance as she could. "There wasn't anything we could use! And...shit, listen 17, there are more Androids now!"

"So what? The preteens weren't that big of a deal!"

"No, 17, they're...they're like us. Some of them were people that Gero..." Her thoughts drifted to the psycho himself. It was bad enough with a space king and a Super Saiyan on their trail, but now they could add another person to their list. "One of them is Gero..."

He remained silent at that. 18 almost wondered if her brother had finally understood the danger they faced. "Big deal. If the old man is an Android we'll just kick his ass."

That tore the last bit of her patience. 18 threw her twin down into an approaching rock formation. He shouted out in panic as he crashed into the rocks. She dropped down in front of her already battered brother.

"Ow...what the shit 18?!"

"What's our first rule of survival?" 17 wasn't expecting that question. They never needed rules since becoming Androids. Not since they were brats living on the streets. "First rule: don't go looking for a fight. We were beat, Lapis! On top of everything else, now Doctor Gero is running around as one of us! And we already have enough assholes hunting us down!" She reached down and lifted 17 up by the collar of his shirt. They were eye level, with 17 for the first time in years terrified of his older sister. "So until you straighten up and realize how fucked we are right now, you're going to shut up, and you're going to follow my lead! Got it?!"

"R-right, you got it, sis..."

His fear was enough to keep her from laying into him any more than she needed. 18 bit her tongue in order to put more distance between themselves and Gero's laboratory. She didn't want to explain how or why it was important that 17's ego not get him killed. There was more than enough bad shit chasing them for one lifetime. They were a team. They had to survive, and escape Gero's lab once again. They were the only family they had left.

* * *

He picked up a sensor reading, as did Nimu, undoubtedly. Something had tripped an alarm at Gero's lab.

Android 16 looked back at Nimu. They shared a knowing stare across the clearing. It was either a trap set by Android 20, or the Devil's Pair had stumbled back to the laboratory. "Nico, you and Nimu must stay with the humans as they move themselves to the Resistance's new fortress. If Android 20 plans to attack, they will need protection."

"And where are you going that's more important?" Nico asked curiously.

"Someone, or something, has entered Gero's laboratory. I want to investigate it."

The albino Android rose up quickly off of the giant's shoulder. "Alone? Are you joking, 16?"

"No. I am stronger than any of the Androids accompanying Android 20, as well as 17 and 18."

"Exactly the reason you shouldn't go alone! They know you're stronger, or at least Android 20 does. They'll have an ambush set up for you, and with nobody to watch your back there's a chance they might still beat you."

"Leaving only one of you to watch the humans is another calculated risk," 16 pointed out. "One I will not risk with innocent lives on the line."

Nico pouted defiantly as she moved closer to 16. She had to hover to be eye level with the giant that was nearly three times her height. "Then let me and Nimu investigate this. We can watch each others backs if it is a trap, and we'll run away if we can't handle it. Plus, Nimu has the same scanners as you, so he can pick up whatever Gero's monster experiment thing is if that's what it is too. That leaves you, the strongest one of us, to defend the others if 20 or whoever does attack!" Android 16 remained silent. Nico grinned happily, knowing she had outsmarted the man with a computer for a brain. "I'm right, aren't I?"

There was a hint of annoyance in 16's eyes that caused Nico to giggle. "You must be careful of Android 20's group. They outnumber you, and are strong enough to overwhelm both of you. As for Androids 17 and 18—,"

"Oh jeez, you're sounding more and more like a dad! We'll be fine!" Nico turned and raced over toward Nimu and Android 3. 16 turned to watch her, still doubting his decision to send them directly into unknown danger. "Hey, you almost done? We've got a mission!"

Both Androids looked up at Nico, who looked ready to burst with excitement. "Yes. Android 3's generator is stabilized and repaired. There are just a few minor repairs to make before she's fully ready."

"I can handle that," Bulma said. She could already tell that something important was going on. "You two be careful with...whatever it is you're going to do."

Nico's excitement skyrocketed, as did she. "Come on then! We don't have a second to spare, Nimu!" The black haired Android shared a passing glance with Android 3, before he took off after Nico.

The others watched the young Androids fly off into the distance. Only one young boy did not wish the pair any luck on their departure. Trunks was still skeptical of the Androids, even if his mother did claim they were safe and on their side. There was no programming to keep them in check, just like the Devil's Pair. What was to keep any of them from betraying humanity down the road? Gohan certainly would never have agreed to relying on more Androids to help out.

He may have brokered a partnership with an evil tyrant, but Gohan would never trust anything made by the madman, Gero. The only good Android was a dead Android.

* * *

They had arrived too late. The fires were still fresh, though they were dying out quickly. Empty clothes, bullet shells, and body armor littered the snow, with patches of crimson splashed throughout, soaking into the frozen whiteness.

Gohan held a small, tattered stuffed bear in his hands. Not too far off was a child's coat caught on a tree branch, fluttering against the chilled winds. Jingle Outpost was gone, just like that. One attack from that monster, and hundreds of lives were gone in less than an hour. The Resistance put up a fight, but there was nothing they could do to stop it, not even with Cooler's gifts given to them.

Since they knew about it, the monster, Cell, was undoubtedly going to get bolder in his attacks. Gohan never predicted something like this.

Neiz and Dore said nothing as they investigated scene. Whether it was respect or fear of Gohan, they did not make light of the deaths of the innocent. Given the people they served, Gohan assumed it wasn't respect that kept them quiet.

"This is my fault," Gohan muttered to himself. He told Videl and the rest of the Resistance to stay put. It was too dangerous to move without him watching over them. They paid the price for his arrogance.

The village, the military fortifications built around it, they were all destroyed. It had been years since the Resistance was hit so hard. The only thing left standing was Muscle Tower in the distance. Gohan couldn't imagine the carnage of an attack from Cell, what he reduced living people to for his own power.

"I'm going to tear Cell apart for this. I'm going to make sure he pays for this..."

"Don't you think you should look for survivors before hunting down your enemies?" Neiz asked. "Doesn't make a difference to us whether or not your people freeze out in the wild though."

Gohan turned sharply to the scarlet alien with a heated glare. "What do you mean?"

"There aren't enough bodies, or lack thereof, to occupy this place," Neiz said. "There were plenty of people populating this base when we last came through here. There were more civilians than there were soldiers, but look around."

He took another look around the area. It looked like a war zone with only on side that took casualties. Nothing else had changed on the battlefield. "What are you getting at?"

Neiz shook his head and made an agitated sound, while Dore waited silently for him to explain. "You soft-hearted heroes are all the same. If Cell wiped out all of the people here, there would be a lot more dead remains. And the houses and other structures are broken, not blown away, which means he didn't just eradicate what he couldn't eat. The remains left over are mostly soldiers too, from the looks of it." Gohan started to catch on. He examined the remains of Jingle Outpost again. Neiz was right. "Dore and I don't have our scouters, so we can't find them for you. But if you can sense energy levels like Lord Cooler, then you should be able to find the survivors."

Gohan turned his eyes to the signature landmark of Jingle Outpost, the heart of the Resistance in the area; Muscle Tower. "I already know where they are."

The approach to Muscle Tower was filled with much more weaponry and armor, signs of Resistance troops standing their ground against an impossible threat. The inside of the Tower was very much the same as the rest of the village. Empty, with only traces of human life littered about.

Gohan took a moment for those who lost their lives defending Muscle Tower, but prayed that their sacrifices weren't in vain. He moved to the basement stairs with haste. As soon as Gohan entered the room, a gunshot rang out. His reflexes saved him as he quickly pulled his head back with a startled cry, but dodging had only thrown him off balance. Gohan's feet slipped out from under him as he avoided the gunshot, and he fell backwards before tumbling down the rest of the stairs end over end. He reached the bottom of the stairs, landing hard on the back of his head with his legs sticking up in the air.

"Gohan?!" He fell on his backside and looked up to see Videl running up to him with a look of worry on her face. "You're here! Did you drive off the Androids!?"

"Nice to see you too Videl...ow." The hero rubbed the back of his head as he sat up from the bottom stair. "Did anyone else make it? How did you guys drive off Cell?" Videl's response came with the click of a gun. Gohan's senses alerted him to her likely targets. He quickly pulled the gun out of Videl's grasp without hurting her before she had a chance to shoot at either Dore or Neiz. The glare she gave him was almost as dangerous as the gunshot she nearly hit him with. "Right, so...I worked out another deal with them..."

Dore and Neiz both stood a reasonable distance away from them as Gohan explained the reason for bartering with Cooler and his crew once again, after they drove the Resistance to the brink of destruction. After recounting the discovery of more Androids, and Cooler's skirmish with the monster known as Cell, Videl revealed that it was a united assault from both the Androids and Cell himself that nearly destroyed Jingle Outpost.

"Once we saw what we were up against, we did our best to hold them back while we evacuated," Videl explained. "But with most of our soldiers at the Red Ribbon fortress...and even with them, we never would have stood a chance. I ordered evacuation immediately. We weren't all going to survive, but...we saved as many as we could." There was obvious guilt in her voice. She blamed herself for failing he people who were lost.

"You did what you could. You still saved lives today."

Videl nodded, but it was clear she wasn't going to forgive herself any time soon. "I used Launch's evacuation plan and moved everyone into the caverns below Muscle Tower. It was part of the plan to collapse the tunnels to cover our escape. But I know where they lead out to."

"Then we'll go there immediately and round up the survivors." Videl nodded. Gohan turned to Dore and Neiz, knowing that they couldn't care less about human lives. "If you two want, you can try to hunt the Androids yourself." He smirked at their nervous expressions.

"You don't have to be a dick about it," Dore huffed. Three of them were knocked around by one Android alone. There was no chance the two of them could stand against five Androids. It was a bit uncalled for to taunt them so mercilessly.

Gohan carried Videl on his back and took the lead to her directions. The Resistance survived another day, but they took a serious hit. Innocent lives were lost, and Gohan would see that Cell, and the Androids, paid for what they did.

* * *

The explosive blast echoed throughout the mountains. Android 20 stared down with contempt as Doctor Gero's laboratory was gone in a flash, reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble by his own hands. "Nothing," he scowled. "There's no one here!" He had received the alert, along with Androids 14 and 15, that an alarm had been tripped. The treacherous thief, Bulma Brief, had no reason to return after reactivating Androids 11, 12, and 16. The logical conclusion, or perhaps the most hopeful one, was that Androids 17 and 18 had returned.

But there was nothing left. A false alarm that caused them to waste their time.

"Search the mountains," 20 ordered. He turned to the other Androids, and to Cell. "If 17 and 18 were the ones who tripped the alarm, they couldn't have gotten far. If you find them, bring them back alive."

"Hope you don't mind them in pieces, Doc."

"You will bring them back in _one_ piece, Android 13!" He met the smug Android with a vicious stare, demanding obedience. Like all previous humans Gero augmented, Android 13 had his own free will that not even cybernetic implants in his brain could fix. Android 20 still expected absolute obedience.

"Heh...whatever you say, Doc. C'mon boys, let's hunt these brats down."

Android 13 flew off with 14 and 15 following after him. Both Cell and Android 20 remained in the air above the remains of Doctor Gero's laboratory. "A shame he wasn't created using the same bio-mechanical structure as my brother and sister," Cell said. "It would save me the trouble of hunting both of them down..."

"Androids 17 and 18 were modified specifically with your eventual evolution in mind," 20 explained. "Android 13 may provide a significant boost to your power, but he's more useful to us as he is. Besides, I made sure that 13 has a few surprises in store for our enemies..."

"As long as there's something left for me to test my perfect form again once I've reunited with my brother and sister..." Cell laughed quietly, licking his lips with anticipation.

Cell wanted a challenge. Android 20 turned all his focus on hunting the Devil's Pair so that his ultimate creation would have the fight he so adamantly craved. If either Gohan or Cooler were destroyed before then, Cell would have nothing to even humor himself with. Even 20 was anxious to see Cell's full prowess in action.

Now, Cell's evolution was in Android 20's hands. He would be the one to create the ultimate, perfect being.

* * *

Android 13 led his partners far from 20, and his little pet. Though it seemed to be that Android 20 was following Cell's orders now.

He wasn't stupid. With Cell's completion, Android 13 realized that he and the others would very quickly become obsolete. They were already riding second place to Cell. If the overgrown bug got the Devil's Pair, there would be no other place left for them.

Android 20 would never allow rebellion. He expected 13 and the others to fall in line like dutiful soldiers. Being a dutiful soldier under Gero's command nearly killed him once when he was a human. 13 wasn't about to repeat that mistake again, now that he had the power.

"Boys, I vote for a change of plans." 13 folded his arms as 14 and 15 looked to him. "We all know that we're headed for the scrap yard once Cell gets his hands on 17 and 18. I for one, don't give a damn about Android 20's goals for his pet project if it means we get tossed in the garbage."

"What are you saying," Android 14 asked.

Android 13 adjusted his hat, turning the bill to face backwards on his head. "We take out the brats, then do the same with Cell. If I'm goin' down, I'm aimin' for the top. I ain't gonna serve myself up to the devil himself without a fight." He turned to his fellow Androids. Although they were both fully mechanical with their loyalty imprinted into their programming, 13 could see them both considering his proposal.

"Us, top dogs?" 15 asked. "That sounds like my kind of plan."

"I will not be sacrificed for someone else's ambitions," 14 said. "I follow your lead."

He was in command again. Android 13 grinned as he looked back over the mountains. "Alright then. Let's find and destroy those brats."

* * *

They stopped on a cliff overlooking the forest, just outside the mountains surrounding Gero's laboratory. 18 had to think of how she was going to fix 17. They were unstoppable together, but alone they didn't stand a chance against the new threats popping out of the woodwork.

"Gero had outposts, smaller bases scattered around. There's probably supplies, something we can round up there."

"And then what? Did you get a degree in engineering and robot anatomy since five minutes ago?"

"Will you shut up? I'll figure something out!"

"Oh sure, you're just going to magically find some spare parts laying around, stick them in my body, and hope for the best. Solid plan, sis."

"Will you shut the fuck up, Lapis?!"

"No, because this is stupid! I'm dead weight, and we both know it."

She saw something in her brother that she had never seen before. Lapis was always overconfident, he always thought he was unstoppable, and it only got worse after they became living weapons of destruction. She would never deny that her brother had talent, both as a thief and a thug on the streets, and as the most powerful Android reigning on the planet.

He looked at her for the first time, with a realization that he was no longer the best. He was ready to thrown in the towel and give up.

18 sat down next to her brother. He turned away to hide his bitterness from her. They sat together in silence, in peace and quiet for the first time in years. Their ordinary routine was usually filled with bickering, adventure, and games once they started running out of big targets to attack. Lazuli couldn't remember a time since becoming Androids that they had just sat together quietly. It reminded her of their days and nights hiding on the streets when they would protect each other.

The silence lingered for a moment. She could sense her brother's frustration at the silence, but she enjoyed it, no matter how temporary it was. They had spent the last twenty four hours on the run, in hiding, and panicking for their lives. How long since they had just enjoyed their freedom so peacefully?

She looked at her pouting brother, even offering a smile. "Did you still want to try and fly that spaceship?" 17 turned back to her with a perplexed expression on his face. "Fuck this planet. I say we find that space king's ship, steal it, and find some alien I can threaten to fix you. Then we'll have all the freedom in the universe. You can even be a space pirate captain."

The idea earned a smile out of him that she missed. There was a spark of hope, a drive for life in him again. "A pirate captain, huh?" 17 smiled up at the sky, reflecting on the incredible proposal. "I don't know. I still think I might be better as a park ranger."

"Well, glad to see you're still in the mood to make that lame ass joke," she said, meeting 17's joyful smile. "Come on, let's get out of here."

" _Now ain't this sweet?"_ Fear spiked through 18's chest at the sound of a stranger's voice. She and 17 both looked skyward and saw three figures floating above. "Now, I normally I wouldn't have a problem with lettin' you kids haul ass off this planet, but..." The trio descended down across from the Devil's Pair. The leader of the group, a bulked out male with only a vest and a backwards trucker hat, smiled tauntingly at them. "Android 20 wants you both alive, and I don't doubt for a second that he'd try to drag us halfway around the universe for you both."

"There's an Android 20?!"

"That there is, modeled after the late Doctor Gero himself, complete with his crazed drive for vengeance. I am Android 13 by the way, and these two behind me are 14 and 15."

Android 18 stood between 17 and the new group of Androids. "What the hell do you want with us?"

"Well, Android 20 wants you both alive so his little pet can gobble you up," 13 explained. "However, lettin' that happen is a conflict of interest, since me and my associates here know that we'd become useless if that happened. So, sweetheart, we're here to destroy you. And it looks like you're about halfway there anyway. 14, 15, draw off the lady. I'll finish off the runt."

"You're in for a world of hurt if you think you can take us!"

The short Android and his lumbering counterpart both raced forward. 15 moved down while 14 pressed forward. 18 moved to meet the bulky Android's assault, slamming her fist into his jaw. The blow sent 14 flying towards the ground, where he crashed deep through the rocky surface. Before she could move on, 15 blasted her from behind with a light green ball of energy that carried her further from her brother.

Android 13 hovered across from 17, who struggled to even stand up on his own two feet. "Boy, this is gonna be a lot less painful if you just roll over."

"Fuck you..."

The murderous Android sneered with glee before he charged forward. 17 rushed to meet 13 halfway, both unleashing a storm of punches and kicks. When blocking, 17 was careful not to use his bad leg, but 13 would press his attacks on the punk's injuries. Android 13's fighting style was direct, punishing, relying on forward, striking blows that put 17 on the defensive.

Android 17 raised his leg to block 13's punch with his shin. He spun around, bringing his other leg up to strike the back of 13's head. While his opponent was dazed, 17 pushed his assault, slamming his fists across 13's body. The storm of blows came to a stop when 13 managed to catch one of 17's fists, and then the second.

"That all you got, boy?" Android 13 pulled 17 forward, driving his knee hard into the injured Android's stomach. 17 doubled over with a choked cry. Android 13 chuckled coldly before he sent the injured Android rocketing to the ground with a crimson orb of energy pressed against his back. "Looks like thirteen is your unlucky number." He created a ball of energy, with another, more dense red sphere in the center. "S.S. Deadly Bomber!"

Android 13 launched the attack straight down to where 17 crashed. The energy bomb raced down faster than 17 could even turn around, as it threatened to destroy him. 13's attack was knocked off target by a smaller energy ball that crashed into it, carrying it off far away into the forest.

Android 17 watched in amazement as his death was averted completely. He looked around for his sister, but saw her still on the defensive from 14 and 15's coordinated attacks. Even 13 was astonished by the sudden intervention from a new, unseen force.

Both Androids were caught off guard when something struck 13 hard in the center of his spine. The lead Android crashed into the side of a rock formation, but bounced back quickly to turn to his attacker.

Android 18 fell back as the giant Android 14 pushed his assault. She figured out the pair's tactics quickly enough to keep her eye out for the smaller Android 15. Cheap tactics, but both 17 and 18 were guilty of using them.

She managed to counter in a brief window of opportunity, throwing her leg up at 14's head. The giant ducked under her strike, leaving her open to Android 15 charge. 18 was left wide open to the attack, before someone came crashing down on Android 15, sending him smashing straight into Android 14 below. The mysterious figure quickly moved back to put distance between themselves and the other Androids, and 18 followed their example quickly.

Android 18 could hardly believe her eyes at a glance. The person who saved her had the passing appearance of her own brother. The major difference beyond their attire was that the newcomer had much longer hair that was swept backwards, reaching down the small of his back.

"Who...who the hell are you?" The savior wouldn't even look at her. He had a look of frustration on his face, and his cold, pale blue eyes were fixed on Androids 14 and 15. She got the feeling the newcomer was not big on talking. "Look, I've got a bad track record with new faces, so how about you just tell me if you're on my side or not?"

"That...is a difficult question to answer at the moment," he replied. "For now, my focus is on taking out Android 20's forces." He glanced away for only a moment. It was brief, but 18 caught his eye shifting skyward. She looked up in that direction and saw a second newcomer facing off against Android 13.

The lead Android chuckled as he flew up higher to square off against a battle ready Nico. Android 13 wore a smug smile on his face as he observed the small, tense woman. "Well, well, what happened to 'defending humanity?' Don't you know these two have killed more humans than what's left?" She said nothing in response. As the silence lingered, 13 started to actually wonder. "Heh, maybe there's more of Gero left in ya than that woman could rewrite?"

"I think we both know better than that," Nico replied. "You were human, just like I was, and I'm guessing from your little admission to these two earlier that you're rebelling against Android 20's orders. You should know that no programming can change who we are."

"Oh 11, that's some mighty fine thinkin', but we aren't human no more." Android 13 charged forward with his fist cocked back and ready to punch a hole through the frail looking girl. "WE'RE BETTER THAN THEM!"

Nico pulled herself to the side as 13's fist came brushing past her side, before locking her arms around his. "Wrong!" She shot her knee up sharply into his chin. 13 lifted sharply in the air from the strike. "They've survived extinction at the hands of Gero's twisted obsession!" Nico released 13's arm as he was still reeling from her knee. She spun around and drove her fist into his stomach with enough force to cause the lead Android to fold over in pain. "Our gifts were given to us _BY A HUMAN!_ " Nico rose up and followed up with another powerful punch across 13's jaw, and then another on the opposite side. "We _were_ humans! So tell me something, 13!" The lead Android threw an elbow to retaliate, but Nico swiftly ducked below to avoided the strike. "What the hell makes you so special!?"

She put her hands up between herself and 13. A blinding red wave of energy crashed into him and started pushing back against the Android. Before he could get pushed too far away, 13 stopped himself and started to push back against Nico's assault. She didn't relent, pouring more energy into the attack as 13 pushed harder. There was no place for the blast to move except out. The energy wave grew wider and wider, becoming much larger than either of the two Androids attempting to claim dominance over the attack.

The compressed wave of energy started to grow unstable. Beams of red energy shot out in all directions, tearing through the rocky surface of the ground below, flying off into the sky harmlessly, or off into the far distance. When the blast finally became too powerful, all the built up energy detonated in a devastating explosion that left a tower of smoke in its wake.

Android 13 lost his hat, and was covered in scratches and light burn marks. His left glove was blown away after the explosion, his vest scorched and tattered, and his right suspender was detached.

" _From where I'm standing..."_ 13 shot a venomous glare upward as the smoke cleared to show Nico hovering safely, undamaged, in a red barrier. "You're not that special, 13."

The injuries Android 13 suffered were minor, not nearly enough to slow him down. But they were just enough to ruin that smug attitude of his. "Missy...you just signed your death warrant!"

Nimu moved swiftly as Android 15 assaulted him. The two mechanical beings moved with fast, precise strikes, and fluidly shifted around and dodged to avoid the other's attack. They didn't waste a move, but neither of them could land a hit either.

The exact opposite could be said of Android 18's skirmish with 14. Without his backup dancer, 18 pressed the assault on the larger Android, but he managed to hold his own. He wasn't as fast as 18, but his raw strength did match hers. She used that to her fully advantage, but 14's defense was hard to crack. Worst of all, his calm expression had yet to break, meaning he wasn't trying, or he was watching her carefully for an opening to present itself. 18 laid on the attack, refusing to give him an opening with nothing but raw speed.

Android 14's analysis of his foe's fighting style gave him an opening. He shot towards the ground, grabbing 18's leg on his way to drag her down with him. 14 was fast enough that 18 was helpless as she was pulled through the air. He swung her like a ragdoll, causing her body to crash through a solid rock formation. 18 cried out as pain shook her body as the solid rock gave under the force of her body. 14 spun around and sent the blonde Android crashing into the ground below the path of the falling rocks.

Android 18 was still reeling from being swung through a wall of rock, before she crashed into another solid surface at break-neck speeds.

Android 14 got his hands on a large chunk of falling debris and held it while allowing the others to crash down around and on 18. He waited, his eyes fixed on the pile that had his foe buried underneath. She finally came bursting from the rocky tomb, but was moving much faster than 14 had prepared for. Android 18 slammed her fist into 14's nose before he even had a chance to throw the rock in hand. 18 grabbed the gigantic rock above the both of them, prying it out of 14's grasp. She turned his weapon against him, and drove the gigantic stone down into his chest.

The force from her throw was enough to send the boulder straight into the ground, with 14 helplessly pinned to it. The ground shook violently and tore apart from the impact, with the rock itself having shattered into a dozen pieces.

She turned to look for her brother, leaving her foe to his rocky grave. 18 barely got to move before something slammed into her back. When she smacked it away, she realized it was yet another large chunk of rock. 14, lightly damaged, but alive and in one piece, hurled another large broken stone at her that was twice the size of his own body. Her attack didn't even slow him down.

"Enough of this!"

The second chunk she blasted away into dust with an accurate energy blast. When 14 lifted up another, Android 18 unleashed a volley of more golden energy bombs aimed at the giant. He dropped the next boulder, and quickly shot into the air to avoid 18's assault. She continued to fire shots after him, explosions trailing from the ground to the air behind 14 as he continued to rise higher and higher. The giant gained distance from 18 before he moved in an arc, diving closer back to the ground. She didn't stop the volley of bombs from flying as she started to turn the rocky terrain into a leveled flatland.

Then she heard her brother cry out among the blasts. "17?!" She stopped her firing long enough to spot a green glowing barrier among the rubble and smoke.

"I'm fine! Just watch it, will you?!"

She breathed a sigh of relief that 17 was still alive, and stable enough to try bossing her around. Then she realized her mistake.

Android 14 moved behind her, with his fingers pressed together and pointed at her. A bright green wave of energy fired out from his fingertips into a compressed edge, like a blade. The energy wave shot out quickly, threatening to split 18 in half. She pulled herself out of the way at the last minute, losing a generous portion of her blonde hair on the right side. The energy blade cut through several more rock formations behind 18, showcasing its destructive potential. She felt her hair over quickly. Her once even, long hair was choppy and short.

"Son of a—I can't grow that back you know!?" 18 grabbed 14's arm and viciously threw him across the wastelands.

The battlefield was becoming too hot. With 17 still injured, she couldn't risk him getting caught in the crossfire, or more likely getting himself involved with one of the battles going on. 18 quickly dashed for the location of her brother.

"Come on," she urged. "We need to go!"

"That spaceship idea sounds better and better."

The siblings shot off into the distance, gaining as much distance as they could between them and the fighting. 18 planned to give her brother a full lecture about how she was literally carrying him the entire time when he could fly himself.

Nico ducked and moved between 13's straightforward strikes, using her smaller body and higher speed to her advantage. She could land hits on the lead Android, but she had yet to deal any lasting damage.

"Hold still ya varmint!" Android 13 suddenly cried out as an explosive energy bomb hit him in the back. Nico looked up to see her partner Nimu flying by quickly. She didn't need to know why, she just moved behind to follow him. 13 recovered from the minor diversion quickly, firing a scowl at the new pair while 14 and 15 joined him. "AFTER THEM!" His subordinates took to the charge, while he brought up the rear.

"We must delay them," Nimu shouted.

"Well, I know one thing that works pretty well!"

Nimu turned toward Nico as they both charged a small, fist sized, red glowing energy bomb in their hands. Without stopping their flight, Nico and Nimu released the bombs behind them on a direct collision course with the trio chasing them. The threat alone was enough to get the three of them to stop, but neither Nico or Nimu planned for their attacks to hit their enemies. Both energy balls released a powerful explosion upon the briefest touch with each other, creating a blinding flash of light on detonation, throwing out high force winds that caused the Androids to cover their eyes. With their enemies stalled long enough, Nico and Nimu gained a considerable amount of distance in their personal pursuit of the Devil's Pair.

Android 13 was left staring at a towering wall of smoke in front of him as he shouted out his fury for the entire world to hear. "What do we do now, 13?" 15 asked, once his boss had stopped yelling.

"Keep lookin' for those brats! I'll break that little girl in half if it's the last thing I do!"

"What about Cell, and Android 20?" 13 gave pause, reflecting on 14's insight.

"Our goal stays the same," he said. "Destroy 17 and 18. Then we can deal with the Doc and his little science experiment freak! With them out of the way, ain't no city boy hero, no space king, and certainly no genetic freak show will stand against us! This world is gonna be ours for the takin'!" 14 and 15 fell in line as they silently followed 13 to continue their search for the Devil's Pair, and now for the newest set of enemies.

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" 18 asked as she cut through the air with 17 at her side. "Where do these people keep coming from?!"

"I think I might be karma or something," 17 replied. "I overheard that little girl fighting the Red Ribbon Redneck that she was an Android, like us."

"More? Fucking great! What the hell could fall out of the sky next?!"

Her rhetorical question was given a literal answer as the new Androids appeared right in their path. "Moving in a straight line is terrible for eluding the enemy," 17's look-alike said. "This way." He flew off to the side, leaving the brunette as all that stood in 17 and 18's way. She gave the pair a spiteful look before following her partner.

They had two options. Keep moving forward, and hope that the redneck and his companions were a lot slower than the newcomers, or follow the mystery pair themselves.

There wasn't much of a choice left when 18 pulled her brother to follow their apparent saviors. "Sis, are you serious!?"

"With Gohan, Cooler, those three maniacs, and a look-alike of Doctor Gero running around chasing us, do you really think we can afford to pass up on some actual help?" 17 had nothing to say in response. "If they wanted to destroy us, they have no reason to help us."

"Is that what you think, or what you hope?"

She followed the other pair as they slowed their pace and descended lower into the woods. "At this point 17, I think we're riding on borrowed time either way..."

They dropped down below the tree line, covered by the leaves and the shade that the forest provided. The other two were already on the ground. The girl was staring at her partner, who was gazing upward. The girl raised her hand for 17 and 18 to stop, remaining absolutely quiet.

"Don't move." The Devil's Pair stopped in their tracks. If it wasn't for the fact that the other two had their attention elsewhere, 17 and 18 might be worried that they fell into a trap of some sort. "Where are they, Nimu?"

"Three objects approaching fast," he whispered. "Moving along the original route set by 17 and 18. They should pass us momentarily."

"He can detect other Androids?" 17 asked. "Wouldn't they have the same—,"

"Nimu has an advanced motion tracker, which might be something one of the other three have as well," the girl explained. "So don't move, and stay quiet."

They listened to the girl and waited. Within seconds, they heard the sound of 13 and the others flying by, while Nimu's eyes followed them carefully. The covering of the forest prevented anyone but the fully artificial boy from seeing their enemies pass them by. Nimu could only trace their movement though, nothing else.

The girl held out her hand to keep 17 and 18 in place while Nimu slowly ascended to get a visual. They waited in tense silence until Nimu floated back down. "Confirmed, all three are continuing along the initial path. We're safe to move."

"Great. Thank you so much Nimu."

"You do not need to thank me again, Nico. You made a logical argument in the case to defend these two." The two Androids, Nico and Nimu, turned to the Devil's Pair. "But...I'm not sure what the Overseer would say, or our uneasy allies in the Resistance."

"I know," Nico muttered. "I'll take full responsibility for that. If it even comes to that..."

"Okay, look." 18 let go of her brother, dropping him to the ground. "We've got questions."

17 landed without grace on the grass. "Ow."

"You two are Androids, you're not with those psychos, and my brother and I don't exactly have any friends on this planet. So what the hell is going on right now?"

"The short version is that you are both being targeted by Android 20, which means we have a mutual enemy," Nimu explained. "The reason we're helping you is..." The artificial boy looked at his partner in silence.

"It's complicated," Nico said with a remorseful sigh.

"You want complicated, you freaking ghost?" 17 pushed himself to his feet, giving a slight lean off of his bad leg. Nico gave him a spiteful look at the insensitive nickname. "A freaking space lizard came from who-knows-where in outer space, beats the shit out of me, chases both me and my sister halfway across the planet before just running off out of the blue, and then more Androids show up and pack enough of a punch to actually be a threat, and to top all of THAT off, half of you seem to want us dead, and the other half seem to want us alive. So yeah, no shit it's complicated! So how about we get some answers!"

Nico stared at the Devil's Pair hatefully before she said anything. They met her menacing gaze. "There's a small supply warehouse nearby that the Red Ribbon Army used before its first destruction. If you want to get patched up, you'll follow us." The albino Android turned and followed her partner toward said warehouse. Nimu was the only one with the location imprinted in his databanks.

Nico's proposal left both 17 and 18 stunned. 18 looked at her brother, noticing the subtle damage he took from Android 13, and their brief exchange. Normally they wouldn't be anything serious, but with the injuries he already sustained from Cooler, it was obvious that 17 wouldn't survive another serious brawl. They didn't have the luxury of not accepting their help. Metal and wires didn't heal themselves after all.

And if it was a trap, there wasn't exactly any sort of alternative. "Shit," 17 hissed. She smiled at him for using his brain for once. Now 18 didn't have to explain it to him.

"Come on bro." 18 put her brother's arm over her shoulders to support and help him walk as they followed their new Android allies.

* * *

 **Harrowwwww!**

 **So, not much I can say about this chapter, other than it's kind of filler-y again. Only one fight scene at the end of the chapter? I'm losing my touch! It's definitely more character driven than most of my previous chapters I'd say, beginning and ending with the 'enemy of my enemy' theme that continues to persist in the story.**

 **To clarify, I will not be cutting into Cooler and Salza's training in the Time Chamber. Mostly just to keep you all guessing whether or not Salza lives through the experience or not~ Because I'm not telling you. And curious about Nico and Nimu helping 17 and 18? Are they betraying Bulma and humanity as Trunks fears, or is there more to that than meets the eye? Again, not telling~**

 **On a more serious note, hopefully Android 3's choice makes sense to you guys. It was a major part of the story where I struggled to explain her choice, and how Bulma, 16, and the others allowed her to make her own choice. 3 doesn't want to be a fighter, and if anyone had made that choice for her, it would have been no better than her being controlled by Gero or Commander Red. So in choosing to stand down and take a nerfing to her power, it allows her to be more 'human,' both in allowing her to exercise free will, and to show the rest of humanity, "Hey, uh...sorry about that whole mess, but I'm not a slave anymore, and I'm not a threat to you guys." Of course, that alone isn't going to be enough to just let bygones be bygones, and they all know that, which is where Nico, Nimu, and 16 play their part to show that not all Androids are created evil. So...hopefully that makes sense to you guys.**

 **Thank you all for waiting patiently for this new chapter. I apologize it took me awhile, but it was one of the slower chapters as far as writing it goes, and then there's personal life stuff that gets in the way too. So, thanks again for the patience and understanding. The good news is the plot from this point forward is going to be moving ahead super duper fast, which means it should be easier/more fun for me to write it, and less slow and filler-y like this chapter. So, fingers crossed that life stays stable enough for me to put more time and effort into my writing.**

 **Thank you for reading this far, as always! Reviewing and giving feedback enables my addiction to writing, and helps my struggles with focusing. See you next time!**


	11. Chapter 11: Sympathy and Spite

Nimu was mad at her. He didn't quite know how to express his emotions, but Nico could tell her partner was upset by her choice. They were supposed to fight for humanity, to defend them. Because of her, they were helping two of the planet's most dangerous killers.

Nico wasn't happy about it either. It probably paid to have a brain that only focused on logic, rather than instinct or emotion. That way they could have stayed out of the fight and let their enemies kill each other, not ruin the element of surprise to save them.

When she had a moment with him to properly explained, she hoped Nimu would understand her reason.

The warehouse they approached was less than what they hoped for. On the surface, it was apparent that the building had seen better days. There was a massive hole blown open through the front door, and the building itself was covered with overgrown vegetation, with vines and hanging moss acting as makeshift covering for the door.

"Great," 18 said with a dry tone. "Anyone got a weed whacker?"

"That will be unnecessary," Nimu replied. He cut the vines and moss away with a simple, precise finger beam swept across the top of the opening. The vegetation spilled onto the ground, removing all minor obstructions. "Is that satisfactory? I could do a scan for spiders as well."

Nico and even 17 got a laugh out of Nimu's remark, but 18 was less than amused. "Nice use of sarcasm, mandroid," 17 said.

"I am not programed for sarcasm." Nico smiled as Nimu was the first to enter the compound.

The warehouse was ransacked, long ago. Remnants of the Red Ribbon Army trying to take what they could after the fall, to defend themselves once they were at the full mercy of King Furry and his army. Nico remembered those days clearly, even in the height of her illness.

The Red Ribbon Army, a faction of radical, violent supremest who threatened to go to open war with the rightful King of Earth. King Furry did his best to negotiate a treaty, to keep peace, rather than go to war, but the Red Ribbon Army could not be appeased with anything less than total domination.

As soon as they invaded however, the Red Ribbon Army crumbled out of nowhere. King Furry did not take credit, claiming some third party was fighting the Red Ribbon Army, taking down its top officers and stopping their advances in dominating the world.

Nico remembered the celebration throughout the world when the Red Ribbon Army was brought down. King Furry's forces were quick to reclaim lost territory and push out the stragglers, rebuild towns, cities, and homes for those who fell to the Red Ribbon's campaign. The world was at peace. She remembered the people being happy that the war was over before it began. She could pass on to the other side since the world was safe. She could be at peace during her final moments.

At least, that's what was supposed to happen.

When she awoke again, it was in Doctor Gero's lab. She didn't know who he was, or why he helped her. At first, he played the part of a generous, brilliant man who genuinely wanted to save her life, and fix the otherwise terminal, incurable disease she was wracked with. He seemed sincere, and even allowed Nico some minor freedoms around the laboratory. She couldn't leave, due to being 'incomplete.' Aside from Gero, the only other human Nico ever met in captivity was his son, General Copper. Copper was always polite, always checking on Nico and sparing some extra time to spend with her, to help her feel less alienated.

Their true allegiance, as well as Gero's intentions for Nico, were revealed over time. She was supposed to be a super soldier for the Red Ribbon Army, the latest in a long line of Androids Gero created to destroy the man who brought down their regime. When she learned the truth, she confronted her apparent savior. The confrontation ended with Nico being shut down and thrown back into stasis.

She was a lot like 17 and 18. She only knew a bit, but what she learned was thanks to the data transferred into her brain implants. She wasn't quite as mentally enhanced as Nimu, but she knew enough to be aware of the other Androids, before and after 11. The Devil's Pair were orphaned on the streets before they were stolen by Doctor Gero, and turned into his killing machines. A familiar story with a much different ending.

Nico never wanted to be used to kill or to destroy. She wanted to be cured, to go back home to her mother and father, to be a family again. Gero wanted his revenge. Did anybody ever ask what 17 or 18 wanted? Gero stole the choice of dying in peace from Nico, he lied to her in order to keep her in check, and he refused to let her go. He stole any choice from the Devil's Pair the instant he took them off the street. Even his own creations weren't allowed to have any free will. Nico didn't want to believe that 17 and 18, Androids who were formerly human like her, were just pure evil like Doctor Gero.

"Scans reveal limited resources in the compound," Nimu announced. "The odds of finding the necessary components to bring Android 17 up to full functionality are unlikely."

"Oh, great," the juvenile 17 said. "Guess this is why we don't trust strangers."

"With the equipment here, I should be able to at least mend the damage done so it doesn't get any worse." Nimu narrowed his eyes on his look-alike. "You'll be able to walk, at the very least. Though I suppose accidents could happen that would render your mouth useless."

"I please do," 18 said. "Where were you when we were activated, smart guy?"

"In stasis." Nimu walked away silently after his impatient remark.

Nico quickly followed him. An explanation was due sooner, rather than later it seemed. Nimu stood in an empty office room, with a hole in the ceiling. Moss and vines hung down from the edges around the skylight. The sun cast a light down on him as Nimu examined the office.

She stood in the doorway, watching him. She wasn't sure what to say. She knew him less than a day, but Nimu, 16, Bulma, they were her friends, and she betrayed them. Now, Nimu was mad at her.

"Nimu...thank you again for helping me..."

"I had no choice in the matter."

Her heart twisted at the coldness of his words. "I guess I kind of forced your hand, huh...?"

Nimu turned over his shoulder to look back at her. She ducked her head down. "I understand your reasons why. You sympathize with them because you see certain similarities between yourself and them. You want to believe those two can be redeemed, just like Android 3 was." Her hopes of making Nimu less angry were almost completely shot down. Of course he knew her reasons. What couldn't he just figure out with a few seconds of thought? That just made it harder to make her defense more convincing, for both of them. "Nico...I understand wanting to protect life. But...these two—,"

"Are no different than Android 3 was."

"Android 3 was programmed to kill, and she overcame that. Doctor Gero could program a personality, he could program loyalty into constructs like myself and 3. You know better than anyone that he couldn't do that with Androids who use to be human. _They_ made their choice. They had freedom the entire time while Android 3 had to evolve to gain hers. Do you truly think that they would stand and allow the Resistance to cast judgment over them? And even if they did, what do you think their ruling would be?"

She knew all of this. Even if they were saved, 17 and 18 were as good as dead on Earth, whether they were judged, sentenced, and executed, or whether they were hunted down and destroyed like dogs. Didn't they deserve better?

"Look I...maybe they can help us against Android 20, a-and maybe they'll help us against this Cooler guy. All I know is that both of them deserve better than to be ambushed and destroyed by 20's goons."

Nimu stared at her with cold, calculating eyes that seemed to look right through her while his mind worked. She hated that look of his, when it was aimed at her. It made her nervous, because it meant Nimu was preparing his side of the argument.

"What about Android 13? Does he deserve better?"

"No! He's just a..." Her argument died on her tongue.

"Did you know he use to be a human as well? One Captain Green, under command of Doctor Gero, throughout the rise and fall of the Red Ribbon Army. He was killed in battle, but Gero managed to bring him back to life. Does 13, Captain Green, not deserve his second chance too?"

"He—,"

"What if he could be shown a different way? What if he could repent and be redeemed? All his crimes should be forgotten then?"

"That's not what I—," It was frustrating, being backed into a corner through undeniable logic. She couldn't care less whether 13 was a pile of scrap or a corpse in the ground. His track record with the Red Ribbon Army, his actions as an Android, it was all obvious that 13 only cared about destroying anything in his path. "Nimu...you heard those two, remember? They want to get away from all of this. They care about each other and they...they have hopes and dreams. 17 and 18 are still _people_."

"And the millions they've killed over the years? The innocent people with lives, and hopes, and dreams, and families that they slaughtered with their power and free will?" Nico cast her eyes to the floor again, feeling the guilt weigh in. She tried to think of how many people the Devil's Pair had actually murdered. Families that struggled, that grieved, like her own. Daughters, sons, mothers, and fathers, all lost thanks to Gero's mad ambitions. Taken away forever by the hands of the Devil's Pair.

"Nimu...I know what they've done is unforgivable. I'm not even optimistic about their chances if they did agree to being brought in by us. But...they're like us. They're Androids, like us. They never got the choice to be anything else once Gero got his hands on them. And I'm not saying that they would agree to the same conditions Android 3 agreed to. But...whether we like it or not, Nimu, we're their kin."

Nico walked forward and stood next to her partner. She could see him running through information. Nimu was nothing if not a logical genius, but he never calculated his human instincts. She knew he had them, somewhere in his programming. He was as much human as she was.

"I agree with you, that they've done awful things with their free will, and their power. I'm not saying we let them get away with it. I just...don't see what right _we_ have to act as their judge, jury, and executioner."

"Do you truly believe that they will allow themselves a chance at redemption?" Nimu turned his eyes to her. In that moment, he wasn't running calculations or trying to reach the next logical conclusion for the argument. He was looking for her answer, testing her circumstantial loyalty to the rebellious siblings.

"Probably not," she answered. "In all honesty, they'd probably laugh us off if we gave them the chance to make up for their crimes. But...I don't feel like 17 and 18 are inherently evil. They're just...kids with a big toy and a really big playground. I believe they should answer for their crimes, and they will. But...not to us. Besides, as long as one of them isn't fully repaired, we hold the advantage, isn't that right?"

There was only a slight chance in Nimu's eyes when Nico unveiled his crime. "I...don't know what you're talking about." A bright, giddy smile spread over Nico's face. The smartest person on the planet, outsmarted and caught in a lie. Nimu managed to repair the internal damage Android 3 had caused to herself when fighting 19. Even without any bio-mechanical components, a few puncture wounds would have been child's play to patch up.

"Just make sure they believe that," Nico teased. She stopped halfway on her trek to the door. "Nimu...I—,"

"Don't thank me again. You know that if they force our hand, we can't save them." The statement was true for either side of the narrow line they walked. Either humanity or the Devil's Pair were likely to pull the trigger before allowing any sort of peace negotiation, or fair judgment. If that happened, there would only be one side both Nimu and Nico would take.

But 17 and 18 at least deserved a chance, even if it was a slim one. They owed them that much from one Android to another.

* * *

The work that Doctor Gero's machines were capable of was...astounding, to say the least. They left that morning, and as the sun began to set, the drones in Resistance control had almost finished repairing the damage done to the Iron Line. It was a far cry from its original glory, but at least it was something of a wall again. Considering the damage that was done when Trunks came through with Gohan, it was definitely a marvel that the tireless machines managed to make so much progress at all.

When the refugees reached the wall, they approached with understandable caution. Though the sight of Resistance soldiers overseeing construction of the wall helped ease some doubts among the nomads. After his own mother activated more Androids, the drones seemed to be the least of their worries in Trunks' view. At least he had no reason to doubt their efficiency, or loyalty.

Even with just Android 16 around, Trunks was on edge. It didn't help that the giant chose to ride in the same vehicle as him and his mother. 16 sat silently with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep. He was completely motionless the entire ride out.

There were over a dozen ships, all of them civilians, carrying anywhere from a single passenger to a whole family. Trunks hoped that whatever defenses Vi set up while they were away would be enough to defend the people.

Bulma flipped on the radio to a hailing frequency to the main fortress. "Vi, this is Bulma. Do you read?"

" _YES! FINALLY! Transmissions are being thrown every which-way while trying to adjust this crap! Damn Red Ribbons are still just a pain in the ass..."_

"Vi, we've got the nomads with us. They're all safe and accounted for. We're gonna need some space for these people though." There was a pause over the radio.

" _All...all of them? How did you...how did you guys get there that fast?"_

Bulma smirked at Trunks, since they both knew the answer. He didn't like it, but the Overseer was just beside herself with her own sense of smugness. "We had a little help. I'll explain once we land. Has Launch made it back yet? There's something we need to talk about."

" _No, I...I haven't heard from the Boss since she left. The drones she took with her are offline too..."_

Bulma paused for a brief moment to reflect, but answered Vi quickly. "We'll find her Vi. Right now we need to get these people set up."

" _You got it ma'am."_

"And...there's one other thing I need to discuss with you. I'll tell you once we're grounded."

She was tense. Whether it was the big reveal for the Androids, or the fact that Launch was missing wasn't clear. She had every confidence in 16, and the other two, and everyone else seemed utterly convinced that Android 3 had turned over a new leaf. Only the Resistance's reaction would tell if anyone else bought it or not.

"Additional targets approaching," 16 said. Trunks felt his heart clench in his chest, as he immediately assumed the worst. "Energy signatures detected."

"How many, 16?"

He paused. "A lot. More reinforcements?"

Trunks perked up. "Wait, Gohan said he was going to get Videl and the others at Jingle Outpost didn't he? That's gotta be him!"

The possibility brought a smile to Bulma's face. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." Trunks moved to the side of the ship and looked out the window.

Between the two groups, there were enough ships to fill the field around the entrance of the main complex. Dozens of vessels from the other group were filled with Resistance soldiers, and citizens from the frozen lands of the northeast. At the head of the second group was Gohan, and two of Cooler's goons.

A few of the surrounding Resistance soldiers shared the same hesitation when seeing Dore and Neiz following their hero's lead. "Gohan!"

He looked over to Trunks as the younger demi-Saiyan approached. Gohan was rather surprised by the accompanying sight. "Trunks? What are you guys—are those the civilians in the mountains?!" Bulma smiled as Gohan rushed past her and Trunks. He moved quickly through the crowds before spotting his mother and grandfather. The latter was easiest to spot, as he towered over everyone. "Mom! Grandpa!"

Before Gohan moved closer, he spotted a small, familiar woman standing next to his mother. The crimson haired woman met his eyes. Gohan recognized her immediately, even without her Red Ribbon uniform. The cold, calculating, unmistakable eyes of Android 3 staring at him like a deer in the headlights.

"Get away from them!" Gohan's aura exploded around him, lifting his hair and burning his black locks into a fierce golden color. His transformation startled everyone around him, but Gohan wasn't about to take any chances with the wolf in sheep's clothing trying to hide among the Resistance. Especially not when that wolf was standing so close to Gohan's remaining family.

He charged at Android 3, barely registering the look of terror and fear on her face. Gohan threw his fist for Android 3's face, but the blow stopped short. The giant's hand wrapped around his wrist tight. The hand was attached to a man nearly as tall as the Ox-King himself, wearing lime green armor, with a reddish-auburn mohawk. Gohan quickly twisted around and threw his boot up at the giant's head. The man lazily lifted up his other arm and blocked the strike without a break in his expression. In that moment, Gohan realized that the giant had no life energy he could sense.

"Gohan, stop!" His mother's voice got through to him. Gohan jumped back, putting some distance between himself and the giant Android. He refused to power down, but it was obvious there was an explanation he was missing. Chi-Chi moved in front of Android 3. The sight made Gohan's heart tighten in his chest with worry. "She saved all of our lives!"

"What...?!"

She turned to the timid looking Android, gently taking her by the arm. They both walked past the towering Android, who stood at attention, watching over his fellow Android cautiously in case Gohan tried something again.

"We all gathered when Hercule came to deliver us the news," Chi-Chi explained. "The new Androids appeared at our meeting. We would all be dead if Android 3 didn't intervene." Gohan stared at Android 3 as he tried wrapping his mind around the concept. Chi-Chi smiled at him as they walked closer. He didn't drop his Super Saiyan form, but Gohan's footing shifted slightly. "She saved my life. The Androids—the bad ones, they wanted to take me in order to draw you into a trap. Android 3 nearly destroyed herself fighting off the other Androids."

"She looks fine now," Gohan stated, snapping venomously at her. The way 3 flinched did not go unnoticed. He pushed the slight pang of guilt to the side before turning back to his mother. "How did she win then? How did you all survive?"

Chi-Chi turned around and stared at the towering Android. Gohan followed her stare and met the eyes of the silent warrior across the clearing. "That one, Android 16, and two other Androids showed up and drove them off."

"W-wait, _more_ Androids?!" Gohan turned around sharply to scream at Bulma. He never got the chance when he saw that she was already standing behind him, along with a scowling Trunks, a cautious pair of aliens, and even Vi with a trope of Resistance soldiers, Android 8, and a group of drones backing her. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Bulma admitted. "But these Androids weren't activated by Gero's little doppleganger, Android 20. By Gero's standards, they were never complete. Android 20 didn't get the chance to finish them, so he left."

Gohan stood up straight. He shot one last glare over in 16's direction before he turned back to Bulma. "Let's say for now that I buy that. What about her?" He pointed directly to Android 3, refusing to look at the murderer. "She was apart of the Red Ribbon's campaign from the beginning. She's responsible for hundreds, _thousands_ of deaths, and I'm just supposed to expect that she's turned over a new leaf like that?!"

"Well..." Gohan's emerald eyes snapped up to Neiz. The overgrown amphibian rubbed his neck as _all_ eyes traced to him. Neiz himself was only staring at Android 3, wrestling with himself on whether or not he should reveal what he knew. "Ah...when Salza and I fought her during Lord Cooler's assault on the Red Ribbon Army, she sort of...renounced her loyalty to them."

" _During_ the assault?" Neiz nodded his head. Gohan could tell by his expression that he wasn't lying. He had no reason to lie about it. He had no reason to even speak up about Android 3 going turncoat in the first place. For Dore and Neiz, their situation was an uncomfortable one, but when it was all said and done, they knew their master was just going to blow up the planet anyway. It was just a matter of time before that happened for the Armored Squadron.

"Gohan..." The Super Saiyan turned as Android 3 approached him. She stopped before him, head bowed slightly toward the ground. "I...I know I cannot undo the things I've done in the past. I really wish I could, for whatever it's worth. I am guilty of the crimes I've committed under Doctor Gero's programming, and Commander Red's directive. I...I don't want to be a tool of destruction anymore." She lifted her head and looked behind Gohan to the blue haired genius that supported and helped her. "With Bulma's engineering, I'm no more capable than Android 8. You would not need your Super Saiyan transformation to destroy me. Trunks, or the two aliens there could destroy me without any assistance." Gohan stared at her as 3 finally looked up at him. He did not see the cold, lifeless eyes of a machine. Android 3's eyes reflected a spark of life, of a person desperately seeking something. "I do not want to be a threat to you, or to the people of this planet. I...I want to live a life of peace with you people, and I will do whatever I can to repay my debt to the planet. And...if that debt can only be paid for with my destruction, I will gladly pay it still."

He stared down at her. She didn't tear her gaze away from him. Despite the face she put on, Gohan could see the fear hiding behind her eyes.

Her actions, her part in destroying the world made Gohan furious just thinking about it. The deaths she had caused, the destruction she had a hand in, they didn't go away just because she turned over a new leaf.

Gohan looked over at the Brief family, at Bulma and Trunks. Android 3's plea was more than they ever got from Vegeta, and he fought for Earth without Goku for nearly two years before the Devil's Pair took him down. And Bulma clearly stood by her choice of allying with certain Androids. By admission of Gohan's own mother, Android 3 risked her life to save a portion of Earth's remaining population.

He looked back down at Android 3. She was ready for whatever his choice was in the end. Gohan released his Super Saiyan form. The tips of his spiked hair drooped as they returned to their normal color.

"If nothing else, I owe you this chance for saving what's left of my family," Gohan said. "And saving everyone else behind you...I think the Resistance owes you the chance to prove your sincerity too. Right, Vi?"

The purple haired woman wore the same scowl on her face as Trunks. It softened, once she saw just how many lives had been saved thanks to Android 3's actions. Lives they would have never been able to get back, if Android 3 chose not to act. Vi relented with a sigh. "Alright, alright, fine. If she pulls her weight, and if the Boss approves too, I can't really say anything."

"It would be more productive of me to pull more than my weight," Android 3 explained. "Wouldn't it?"

Vi's remark reminded Gohan that he had a heartbreaking piece of news for everyone. But it wasn't the time for that. Gohan looked back at Android 3. A small part of him still felt uncertain with the decision he made, uncomfortable with allowing an Android into their ranks. They had been enemies for half a lifetime. With any luck, it wouldn't take nearly as long to get use to being on the same side.

"Alright," Gohan said as he turned to Bulma and Vi. "I guess a meeting is in order, huh?"

"Sounds about right," Bulma agreed with a smile. "A lot has happened it seems."

"More than you know..."

* * *

The minor damage caused by Android 17's injuries had been fixed and closed up when night came. Nimu finished closing up the puncture holes in 17's chest and leg when he was done. "As I said before, this isn't a permanent solution."

"Are you kidding? You patched up the holes in my body! What else is there to fix?"

The small cables and mechanical tools in Nimu's arm retracted into place, tucked and locked behind the plating that covered his arm. "Your design is...rather unique, even compared to Nico. Gero must have spent an incredible amount of time on you."

"Yeah, way to make it creepy." 17 jumped onto his feet, putting weight on his bad leg. His knee buckled, but he was quick to catch himself. "Son of a...why does it feel so stiff?"

"I could only fill the hole, but your bio-mechanical components are more difficult to replace once damaged or destroyed," Nimu explained.

"My bio-what now?"

Nimu sighed as he rolled down his sleeve and pulled his glove back up on his arm. "Bio-mechanical components. It was something Gero perfected after he rebuilt Commander Red into a cyborg. With it, he was able to fuse flesh and metal together to create...something between. It's what allows you, your sister, and Nico's body handle energy, and the incredible power, speed, and durability without the training and conditioning Goku and his allies went through."

"Yeah, yeah, boring shit. So you can't fix my leg?"

He narrowed his eyes at 17. How anyone put up with him for so long was a mystery. "I did what I could. But without anything bio-mechanical aside from you, Nico, and your sister, I can't completely patch it up. Those spots Cooler hit will be a weakness, but with my repairs they're not critical weaknesses."

17 made a face before he bounced back and forth on his feet to test the limits of his bad leg. "Well...thanks for that much at least, mandroid."

"Nimu." 17 turned his curious expression to Nimu after he was corrected.

"Really? Everyone else wants to be called Android-something."

"You're no exception to it either. Nico says that giving us names makes us more human, rather than machines."

17 laughed as he started rolling up his sleeves. He started throwing punches, focusing on his injured right arm. The injuries weighed on him, but not as heavily as before. "In case you didn't know, mandroid, we are machines made by Gero. Our humanity went out the window when he got his hands on us. And, no offense, but you were never a human to begin with."

Nimu said nothing. 17 technically was not wrong in his statement. His mind and body were all artificial, created by the hands of Doctor Gero. But he had sentience, he had the free will that came with any life. He never expected 17 to ever understand though.

"Hey uh...mini-me...?"

"Do _not_ call me that," Nimu snapped. He was only a few inches shorter than 17 to begin with. Beyond that, he had no idea what cruel coincidence gave them their similar appearances.

"Sorry. Listen, uh...thanks for...this."

Nimu found 17's awkwardness to be confusing. "It was the least I could do," he answered. A flicker of emotion crossed 17's eye as he nodded to Nimu.

He suddenly understood the other Android's awkward demeanor. 17 was had never shown thanks for anything before. Nico's assessment wasn't too far off for the Devil's Pair. Nobody had ever helped them, shown them any form of kindness before. Nimu allowed himself to believe that maybe they could change for the better.

All they had to do was convince the rest of the planet that they were worth sparing. And the odds were stacked against their favor.

Android 18 sat in the light of the moon overhead as Nico examined her crooked, chopped hair. She had fussed about it while the boys were busy with repairs when Nico volunteered to help. It wasn't like her hair could get any worse, though 18 had her doubts about what could be done with it.

"I hope you weren't too particularly attached to the length," Nico said. She lifted two locks of 18's hair between her fingers, straightening them out to eyeball their length.

"Not much I can do about it now," she muttered. "What about you? Were you lucky enough to have hair that grows after...?"

"No, unfortunately." There was a hint of sadness in Nico's answer. "I use to have long, curly hair that went down to my waist. It drove my dad nuts," she laughed. "When I became sick, I started losing my hair."

"Cancer?"

Nico shook her head. "Not quite. The doctors thought that's what it was at first, but the disease affected my blood, turning it into a poison basically. My muscles, nerves, organs, I was essentially decaying on the inside. My body was tearing itself apart..."

18's eyes flickered to the side. "You...you're Android 11 then?"

She laughed as she snipped an uneven lock shorter. "Did Gero talk about me I take it?"

"No, I...I browsed some files I found at his old lab. You were that girl he..."

"Lied to my parents in order to take my body? Yep, that's me."

"That makes you older than me and 17," 18 realized. The girl was shorter than 18 was, and she looked at least a few years younger too. Nico was just altered at a younger age, looking forever young, and thrown into stasis for most of her time since then. It chilled 18 to the bone to think of how deep Gero's obsession ran.

"I suppose it does," Nico said. 18 couldn't quite judge what, if anything, Nico thought on the matter. "I don't suppose that means you'd be willing to listen to anything I have to tell you."

"You save our butts against the Red Ribbon Redneck, your friend is making my brother slightly less useless, and you're cutting my hair. The least I can do is listen."

Another uneven lock of golden hair fell to the ground. "Do you have any regrets?"

She gave a dismissive shrug. "Getting used for Gero's science experiments is pretty high up there."

"You seem to be enjoying the fringe benefits."

"We make the most of what's given to us, good or bad." 18 knew what Nico was aiming toward. She said nothing as she raked her fingers through 18's hair. "You gonna tell me how killing is wrong?"

"I'm amazed that you would need someone to distinguish that fact for you."

"Well, 17 and I didn't have a mommy and daddy to tell us right from wrong." They had a cold upbringing in as orphans, and then a life on the streets where they were taught how worthless they were. They've always had nothing growing up, nothing except each other. "The world treated 17 and I like shit all our lives. When we finally had the chance to stand up for ourselves, we didn't complain, and we decided it was time to hit back."

"No, you didn't." 18 waited for a lecture, but she only heard the sound of snipping as her hair fell. It had just occurred to her maybe irritating the person with control over her permanently set hairstyle. "Done." Nico threw the scissors somewhere across the room and walked away. "Nico and I will give you and your brother ten minutes to make a break for it. Next time we see you, we're not going to help you."

18 stood up and shook her head, running her fingers through the short, chopped locks. She didn't feel any uneven lengths, or any balds spots. "So that's it? You just help us out for shits and giggles and then throw us to the dogs again?"

"I just realized that you aren't worth the kindness," Nico replied coldly. Her remark stung more than 18 cared to admit.

"Just like that, huh? You know, we didn't ask to be turned into Gero's science experiments. But you certainly seem to be enjoying the hell out of the fringe benefits too."

"I'm not running around killing innocent people for fun!"

"And what fucking right do you have to judge!?" She turned sharply on Nico, who couldn't even look at her. "My brother and I were alone, and we had to fight to survive! We had nothing but each other, and we never asked for anything else, except another day. The world threw us out in the gutter from the day we were born, until the day we would have died!" Nico's eyes hardened against 18's story. She had no right to judge them. Nobody did. "The people you're so eager to defend, they're all garbage. People who looked down on me and my brother, Gero...hell, even your parents gave your corpse away pretty quickly. 17 and I had everything taken away from us before we had anything. The world is cruel. We didn't change that, we just moved to the top of the list. Why should we give a damn, just to make your conscious feel better?"

The half of Nico's face that 18 could see was twisted with emotion. She almost thought the smaller girl was about to cry. It didn't change the fact that she was right. The world didn't care about them, and it didn't care what they did. No matter who they killed, or who they fought, nothing changed. They were the ones in control of the world around them, rather than the world controlling them.

"You were both on the run, weren't you?" Nico looked at 18. She hid her frustrations well behind a blank face, and an impassive glare. "What was his motive for hunting you both down? He was angry, holding a grudge?" Nico's stare became harder, more furious as she turned squarely to face 18. "So you got hurt, and you ran. Were you scared? Scared that maybe you would die? Or maybe that you'd have everything you care about taken away from you? And how long were you scared? A couple of days, maybe? Why don't you take that feeling, extend it to every single day since you and your brother have been terrorizing the planet, and multiply it by a billion."

Nico became unmistakably enraged, making no effort to hide or mask her frustrations. "The world is cruel, but you don't get to use that to justify you and your brother being a pair of murderous assholes! You had the choice to use your powers to make things better, but you chose to make things worse. I can sympathize with you, but I can't forgive the horrible things you've done, just because you could."

18 tried not to let Nico's words get to her, but she was failing. "You thought a talk could just change who we are?"

"I had hoped that maybe you could be reasoned with, instead of acting like self entitled brats! But if you think that your survival is more important than anyone else, then you're beyond my sympathy!"

"Well nobody asked for your sympathy, you little shit!" 18 turned around sharply. She saw both Nimu and 17 standing in the doorway, watching with quiet looks of shock on their faces. "Come on 17, we're leaving!" She lifted off and flew out of the collapsed hole in the ceiling without another word.

Nico and Nimu stared at 17, who looked as surprised as a deer caught in the headlights. "Uh..." He gave Nimu a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks again buddy." Nico softened her eyes when 17 turned to her. "And thank you for saving our butts."

He took off after his sister, leaving his feelings of guilt with the other pair. Nico watched 17 as he left. Nimu saw that she was conflicted about her choice. She still sympathized with them, even after they scorned her offer. But Nico chose to risk her life in order to give 17 and 18 a chance to make up for their crimes. It was a better chance than anyone else would give them. Some people were just beyond help.

"Nimu?"

"Yes, Nico?"

She lowered her head, her voice breaking as she spoke with a small voice. "I'm sorry. I should have just listened to you in the first place. I'm an idiot for thinking I could change them..."

"We are not machines," Nimu said. His immediate response took Nico by surprise. "You gave them a chance. You showed them kindness and understanding when they had never known that in their lives. Mercy is not a weakness, Nico." He looked away from the moonlight casting down into the room, and smiled across it at Nico. "It's what makes us human. And it is something we should embrace, not scorn."

Nico allowed herself to let go of her remorse, thanks to Nimu. She smiled fondly at her partner and stared back up into the moon casting its pale light down on her. "Nimu...thank you."

"Don't mention it." They stood together in silence, staring up at the dark, endless night sky above. He finally understood what it meant to be human. "Ten minutes then?"

"Ten minutes." Nico hardened herself for her second meeting with the Devil's Pair. She had a duty to fulfill to the people of Earth. The people she swore to protect.

* * *

Gohan knew that the news of Launch's death would have a heavy affect on the Resistance, especially on both of her top officers, Videl and Vi. The room was silent, barring the quiet, choked sobs Vi did her best to stop. Vi was the youngest, but one of the most accomplished members of the Resistance. Launch practically raised her from a bratty teen into the woman she had become. It was a difficult loss to bear, especially for her.

Vi finally lifted her head and wiped away her tears quickly. "So how do we kill this thing...?"

"You leave this thing to me. You and everyone else in the Resistance needs to focus on keeping people alive, and defending everyone we possibly can. The more people Cell absorbs, the stronger he gets. We can't let him get anyone else." Vi didn't like his answer, but it was the best that could be done. "We're still blind as long as there are more Androids around, and as long as Cell can hide his power level. And we can't forget the Devil's Pair are still out there."

"Not to mention the Androids under our own roof," Vi added bitterly. Both Android 3 and 16 were in the room. Only 3 took Vi's remark personally. "So we just sit here and hope that what we have can stand against whatever shitstorm might come knocking on our front door?"

"We're up to our eyes in drones," Videl said sharply. "If we keep cranking them out, we can make damn sure that we take them with us."

Videl's confidence was normally inspiring, but Vi was too frustrated to accept a docile role in the new war. She wanted blood."We should focus on what we do know," Bulma said. "16 and Nimu both were connected to the sensors Gero's old lab. Something tripped one of his alarms before we left the mountains."

"That is correct." Android 3 pulled up a projection of the northern mountains in front of the room. A flashing red dot marked the location of Gero's laboratory. "Shortly after Nico and Nimu left, the signal coming from Doctor Gero's laboratory was cut," 16 explained. "Even with their speed, there is a zero percent chance that they were the ones who destroyed the location."

"So what does that mean?" Hercule asked.

"If the other two Androids couldn't get there in time for that location's destruction, then it means a couple of different things," Neiz said. "Either one of the other Androids tripped the alarm and destroyed the whole place, or the other group tripped the alarm and then the second rolled through and wiped it out anyway."

"Both likely options," Gohan agreed. He knew virtually nothing about Android 20 and his team, but he knew the Devil's Pair. "17 and 18 are more prone to wanton destruction. My money is on them being the ones who destroyed the lab. Bulma could have tripped the alarm when activating the rest of you, and 20 could have went to check on the disturbance."

"No," 3 stated bluntly. "When Nimu saved me from Android 19, 20 was shocked to learn that the others had been activated. He was angered to learn that 'his' creations were tampered with."

"Also, probably should have mentioned that I reactivated the sensors at Nimu's suggestion," Bulma added, aiming a smile at 3. "When Commander Red made his last gambit for domination, the sensor is what activated Android 20. From there, he took over and didn't see the forethought in leaving it on."

"So the Devil's Pair are likely the ones who tripped the alarm," Hercule concluded.

"And Android 20 will have undoubtedly detected the intrusion of Gero's laboratory," 16 added. He knew that meant Nico and Nimu were in danger. "Androids 17 and 18 were looking for something at Gero's old laboratory. If they didn't stay, we must find out where they fled."

Android 3 typed in something into the command console on the war table. Around the northern mountains, five targets dotted the surrounding area. Two of them flickered out immediately. "Gero had small supply outposts around his main base," 3 explained. "Apparently, only three remain. If 17 and 18 are in the mountains, they'll search these locations as their most likely targets."

"Then we need to search each one of them," Gohan stated. "The other two Androids with us, Nico and Nimu? Do they know about these outposts?"

"Affirmative," 16 said.

"Then by the time we get out there, they'll be searching too. We should split up in order to cover more ground."

"I agree. I will cover the east. The rest of you shall cover the west."

Gohan watched as 16 left the meeting without objection. He could tell in an instant when 16 blocked his strike that the giant Android was stronger. By how wide a margin, he couldn't say, but it wasn't something he wanted to find out.

Dore and Neiz waited expectantly for Gohan to give the order. "You heard the man. Stay on guard, and let's move." Gohan turned towards the young man giving him a scowl for excluding him. "That means you too, Trunks." The Devil's Pair, Android 20, Cell, whoever was hiding in the mountains, they wouldn't be hidden for long.

* * *

"Hold that monster back! Give him everything you have!" The students formed two lines before the green monster, defending their king. The first line knelt down, giving the second line a clear line of sight. The creature did not move. "Fire!"

Each of the dozen fighters launched a golden beam of energy from their fingertips, each shot fired with extreme precision. The monster didn't blink as each attack struck him, barely scratching his body. The sight alone was enough to make each of the martial arts students stumble back with fear, breaking formation.

"Th-that's impossible!"

"M-Master Shen said the Dodon Ray wouldn't fail us!"

Cell hummed curiously at the frightened men's blabbering. He had Tien's DNA inside of him, he knew all the tricks and secrets of the Crane School. Though he had no idea that it was still active, let alone training so many powerful morsels.

Android 20 stood behind Cell, waiting patiently for his creation to finish playing with his meal. The recorded data that the late Doctor Gero gathered about Goku and his associates gave 20 relevant knowledge of the refugees hiding out in the mountains.

Master Shen was a founder of the Crane School, rival and enemy of Master Roshi and the Turtle Hermit School. Though Shen was by no means an ally of Goku's, he did train Tien and Chiaotzu, two allies of Son Goku. Other than that, Shen's only ties with Gero's ambitions and the Red Ribbon Army were the fact that Shen was the elder brother of Mercenary Tao, the apparent security chief of Commander Red's territory before it was destroyed.

Behind the Crane School students were a rather large race of winged reptiles known as the Giras. An earth-born species, gathered together into a small tribe, and having taken refuge with the human survivors hiding in the mountains. Goku was known to have a Giras ally, though the race themselves were hardly considered a threat by 20, let alone Cell's, standards.

The warrior monks who made up Master Shen's students, as well as the apparent leader of the group, were none other than King Chappa and his disciples. Chappa was a former champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament, had fought against Goku twice, and lost both times. His survival in the wake of the Androids' attack, let alone the impressive force he was gathering, was a bit of a surprise. If they had joined with the Resistance, or even the Fury Force, it would have meant trouble for Commander Red, or even the Devil's Pair if they got lucky enough. Instead, they were hiding in the caves, away from the rest of the world.

"Master Shen isn't here...we're doomed!"

"Wh-what do we do? K-King Chappa?!"

The self proclaimed 'king' stood with the Giras leader, a grizzly veteran warrior named Aoi. He looked back at the warrior's red eyes, and he saw the silent, furious determination to fight to the very last. Chappa was their leader. The Giras, the wayward survivors from the North City Blitz caused by the reborn Red Ribbon Army, even his own people, they all gathered together under his leadership. They followed Chappa because they believed in his promise that humans could achieve the power of the Heroes of Earth had before they fell. They believed him when he said that they could be the ones to strike down the Androids, and save the world. Master Shen always had his own reasons for agreeing to train Chappa and his followers. He had no loyalty to anyone, so long as he had something to throw to the wolves as he ran. But Chappa had seen with Goku and his allies that they would need more advanced training from someone older, someone stronger, and wiser. Master Shen was the only person left after, Master Roshi went missing four years ago.

Shen would have a safe haven, and he would have the opportunity to regain his vengeance against his traitorous younger brother, should they succeed. Chappa would be able to give them that fighting chance, and gain a following powerful enough to make that dream true some day.

But Shen was gone. And even with his help, they never would have stood a chance against this monster, and his cruel master.

"I think they're scared of you, Cell," Android 20 said with cruel amusement.

The foul bio-Android licked his lips and laughed sadistically at his frightened prey. "They think they could become strong enough to contest with me?" They all twisted under Cell's assessment of their group. Humans who tried to survive did not understand their place. They were less than dirt. "They're only good to provide a meal for me. You think you could get strong enough to face the likes of me? You foolish little worms..."

"Chappa!" Aoi snarled, bracing himself for the monster's assault. "What do we do?!"

The former king, the former warrior, had lost his family, his precious Ruhna because he was too weak to stop the Androids. His three children, all gone before he could tell them he loved them one last time. He would not lose another family due to his own inaction.

"Everyone run! I will hold this fiend back!" Chappa's roar echoed throughout the cave as he drew on his power, a white, translucent aura blazing around him. "Run! Now!"

King Chappa launched himself forward with all his might, cutting through the air at blinding speeds. With a furious roar, he threw his punishing Iron Fist, driving his knuckles directly into the side of the creature's cheek. The blow shook the mountain that hid their former sanctuary, and twisted the monster's head a bit to the side. Chappa could see immediately that his attack was having no effect, as Cell's slit pupils were still fixed directly at him.

He had to save his followers. Even if it meant his life. He would not be lucky enough to live as a hero, but he could still die as one.

Chappa twisted around and drove his elbow in the same cheek he had pulled his fist away from. The monster started to lean, but he still didn't blink, did not wince. He was taunting him. Chappa's pride took a hit, but he wasn't going to back down. If he was nothing more than a bug biting at him, then King Chappa would bite down hard.

"TAKE THIS!" Chappa ducked down, squatting to the ground before he shot up again, driving his fist into Cell's chin. The ground shattered below his feet as pushed himself skyward, striking with enough force that Cell was lifted into the air. The monster was still giving that unblinking, chilling stare as if waiting for more.

Cell gently dropped to the ground. He wasn't even lifted up a foot off of the ground, but he still kept his head lifted up, staring at Chappa down his metaphorical nose.

Chappa barely saw movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head, he saw the old man going for Chappa's followers. There was no way he could catch up with the attacker in time.

It was Aoi who stopped the assault, his white/blue aura flaring around him as he crashed into the Android with enough force to stop him. Although he was stopped, Android 20 did not stop pushing, and Aoi was slowly losing ground.

"You...won't...get past ME!" Aoi opened his mouth wide, and roared in the Android's face as a gooey substance shot out and started to cover the old man's body. The goo moved over every inch of 20's body, until he was completely encased in a coffin of Merry-Go-Round Gum.

Once trapped, Aoi punched the bound Android straight into the ground. The dragon-man charged up his power inside his stomach, taking in a deep breath before exhaling a full wave of energy down on his opponent. The energy attack hit its target, unleashing a powerful explosion on impact that threatened to collapse the cavern that King Chappa's followers build with their own hands. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left in the center of the crater Aoi created.

"Pathetic." Aoi turned around and saw Android 20 floating right behind him. "That blast wasn't even worth absorbing." Before the Giras leader could launch another attack, the Android appeared before him in the blink of an eye. Aoi barely had time to comprehend his opponent's speed before the old man before a striking elbow struck the side of his head, shattering his eye socket. The Giras leader howled in agony as he was shot toward the ground at break-neck speeds. Aoi was barely conscious, and the attack damaged his bleeding eye.

King Chappa looked in horror at how truly outclassed he and Aoi were. Barring Master Shen, Chappa and Aoi were the strongest warriors they had to offer, and they were little more than game for the monsters that attacked them. His followers were still running away for their lives, moving toward the holes in the cavern roof to fly out of. They were gone, and the two monsters they face could easily kill them and still reach his men. His people were at risk, unless Chappa could provide them with every possible second he could to occupy the monsters.

"Aoi! You need to get out of here immediately!" Chappa drew out every ounce of his power, pushing far beyond his limits as veins bulged out over his dark skin. "You need to lead our men to safety! GO NOW!"

Cell laughed as the feeble human's power shook the cavern. He still thought he had a chance. Whatever tricks the powerless fool had up his sleeve, he didn't stand a chance.

King Chappa moved his hands together, forming a triangle between his hands, fingers extended and touching at the tips, with his thumbs sticking out at the bottom of the open space. The former king roared as he summoned all the power he could into his hands.

Aoi watched in awe of Chappa's power, recognizing the technique he was about to use. Chappa's path could only end one way. Aoi could only honor his sacrifice by surviving, and getting the remainder of their people to safety. He flew off, his wings kicking up dirt as the heavy fighter flew away.

Android 20 shifted his eyes over to the fleeing Giras, but made no move to stop him. After this attack, Chappa was done for certain. 20's sensors kept a steady track of the former warrior's rising power. Chappa's attack might have damaged one of Gero's lesser Androids, such as Androids 5 or 7, but even in his current form, Cell was peerless. There was no threat to Android 20's ultimate creation.

Chappa's body strained and ached with the pressure he was putting on it. There was more he could feed into the attack, but he would wait until the last moment to catch the monster by surprise. Cell only laughed in the wake of King Chappa's full power. Time for the surprise.

"NEO TRI-BEAM!"

Chappa howled in fury as he poured out every last ounce of his power, and his life energy into the attack. Android 20's sensors suddenly skyrocketed far beyond Chappa's outburst as he fired a golden wave of raw power that threatened to engulf even him. Cell's eyes widened as the kamikaze attack pressed on him.

The attack pierced through the mountainside, blasting far off through the forest, leaving a heavy, smoking trench for nearly a mile out. Aoi and the other survivors watched as the mountain fell in on itself, breaking down into a pile of boulders stacked into a pile of rubble. They mourned the man's sacrifice, before Aoi led them away. Their king's sacrifice would be worthless if they did not survive.

Miles in the opposite direction, Master Shen stood on the edge of a cliff, watching as the Neo Tri-Beam blasted off into the distance from the collapsing mountain. Shen shook his head with disappointment, turning away before continuing his trek onward with his two star pupils that were smart enough to join him.

In the wake of the mountain, the dust began to settle after the mountain collapsed in on itself. One boulder was turned over, as a dirtied Android 20 emerged. He wore a look of intense fury on his face. First Android 3, now some no-account had rose above and beyond his calculations. If their current predicament was any indication, Cell's rise to perfection would be a more difficult than they expected.

Android 20 looked over, and saw Chappa dragging himself across the rubble. He was barely clinging to life, and even in death he was attempting to defy them.

Cappa's vision blurred as he moved his body. He had to get away. There was nothing left to fight back with, so the only thing he had the smallest chance for was to survive. It was a fruitless hope, but it was the only thing that drove the dying man forward.

"An impressive display," a wicked voice spoke. Chappa stopped, his heart freezing in his chest. He almost wished the shock alone would have been enough to end his life, rather than go through what the monster would do to him. "If nothing else, I got a little laugh out of this." Over half of his people already fell to the evil being, swallowed up and gone due to the creature's ravenous appetite. He was about to experience hell like he could never have imagined. As long as his people survived, it was worth it. "And even if you exhausted your power, I get such a bigger boost out of a living person than a corpse. And if you think your friends are safe, you're wrong. Because there's nothing to stand in my way. And I will kill every last person on this planet sooner or later. You've changed nothing."

Cell brought his foot crushing down on King Chappa's spine with a heavy crunching sound. The warrior gave a dying howl of agony as he felt his spine cracking under the monster's foot before everything went numb. "Any last words?"

Chappa turned his head, staring directly up at his murderer, looking at its foul tail that would be the cause of his death. He had nothing left but to strike at the monster with words.

"I...will die honored...and remembered. When you meet your end...nobody will care about...you."

Cell smiled before he struck his stinger deep into Chappa's shoulder. The dying man cried out in pain as his insides corroded rapidly, which sucked up the liquid remains through a ravenous tail. Chappa decayed, fading entirely into Cell, becoming apart of his being. When the bio-Android finished, he turned his head to Android 20.

"Well, good thing 13 wasn't here. That attack might have hurt him."

Android 20 frowned. "Don't underestimate Android 13. He may not be up to your level, but he has his uses."

"For now," Cell chimed. 20 did not argue. Although, the others had been gone longer than he expected. They would have to go looking for 13 sooner or later. Either to confirm he was alive, or to question him on why Android 15's signal transmitter was turned off. "I can almost sense them...17 and 18, my brother and sister...they're close."

* * *

They were close. Android 16 arrived at the first outpost, and found signs of small disturbances that meant someone passed through recently. The blond hair was an indication of the Devil's Pair. 16 could detect from the lengths that it was something rather precise, trimming off jagged split ends off of even, straight cuts.

The most likely possibility was Nico. 16 knew exactly why she would have given haven to the Devil's Pair. The last thing they needed was for the humans to figure it out. Nico and Nimu both knew what that would mean. Giving their enemy any mercy was a risk they couldn't afford to take.

Thankfully, the last remaining base was the same distance between his location and Gohan's. Though the others had a further distance from the starting point, it would be easier to meet up together. If he couldn't find anything at the next location, he would move to Gohan's to ensure his group's safety. If the enemy was at the next location, then 16 would be the first to encounter them before reinforcements would inevitably arrive.

Nimu would have the capabilities to fix 17's injuries completely, though he never would. He just hoped that Nico wouldn't find out that he truly could. If she saved the Devil's Pair, there was the chance that she would try to pressure Nimu into fixing him completely. Though it was a small chance, according to his calculations. H still had doubts about how much mercy she would grant her fellow victims of Gero.

Android 16 took off into the sky, moving quickly as he kicked up and scattered the blond locks away, ridding the outpost of any of evidence.

* * *

They gathered on the mountain cliff side overlooking the windy ocean out before them. 18 had the chance to stop and stare at her reflection through the steady ripples in the water. Nico had trimmed her hair into a stylish, shaggy bob-cut that still suited her, and was reminiscent of her former hairstyle. She had hair sweeping across her forehead, giving her bangs, rather than her hair parted over to one side. It was certainly easier to distinguish her from 17 now.

It looked good. It was a courtesy Nico didn't have to give, but 18 certainly appreciated it. She almost regretted leaving the brats behind. "Alright, so if we have to fight Gohan and Cooler again, we're taking them down from the start. No more chances for them to make a comeback."

"I still think stealing that spaceship is our best bet," 17 said, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face.

"That was before you got fixed up. Now it's time to dish out some payback. Besides, if we kill the overgrown lizard, we can still steal his ship later."

"Or we could just move faster to the ship if we go now, without you having to drag me."

18 turned and met her brother's scowl. She wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes on him. "Since when do you want to run from a fight?"

"Since when do you want to find one?"

She shrugged, waiting for him to expand on that statement. "So, are you scared of fighting?"

"I'm just wondering _why_ your pissed off. And before you give me shit, I'm still not a hundred percent, so going up against anyone like the Lizard King or Blondie is a fucking awful idea."

"Well boo fucking hoo. We can still take those bastards!"

"And the other Androids? We're going to risk going through that shit again when we could just make a run for it?"

18 was getting fed up with her brother's reluctance, and his attitude. "What the hell is your problem, 17?!"

"What's yours?"

"I'm pissed off, okay?! I want to hit something!"

17's scowl hardened. "And when you get pissed off, you don't think straight. The rational, careful 18 yesterday would have never considered this to be an option. So that means that you're _really_ pissed off, and you need to kill something to think straight. And since I haven't pissed you off, that means you're really shaken by what that girl said."

"Shaken?!" 18 suddenly had an urge to hit her brother. Where did he get off suddenly throwing accusations at her all of a sudden? "I'm pissed off because she thinks she knows us! She thinks she has any right to judge _us_ after everything we went through!"

He didn't believe her at all. He knew his sister well enough to know when she was making excuses, when she was lying. "Maybe you're not pissed about what she said." 18 would have just blasted Nico on the spot if that was the case. The issue was something more than just another person thinking they were monsters. "You're pissed off because you think she's right. You think we should turn ourselves in?!"

"What? No you idiot! We wouldn't have a chance in hell if we did that! We're not going to surrender to them and hope for mercy!" 18 tensed up as a spike of anger coursed sharply through every inch of her body. Her fingers went numb from how hard she was squeezing them into a furious fist. "We've never expected any better from them before we were killers."

17 understood then. She was wondering what life they could have lived if they hadn't destroyed most of the planet in an thoughtless, chaotic road to the end of the world. "You're just...having regrets." She didn't want to admit it. They never regretted their choices before, but they didn't realize that as far as destroying cities went, in for a penny, in for a pound. They had both known that sooner or later there would be nothing left to kill. It just never occurred to them that sooner or later, their actions would catch up to them. "There's nothing we can do about it now. And staying around to pick a fight when we already had a solid plan is my level of stupid. We can get off this rock. We can go anywhere we want sis. We could start over and be whoever we want. You know that, but you're still pissed off enough to go down swinging. If we just leave, all of these assholes will kill each other sooner or later, and we'll be on the other side of the universe."

She knew that. She knew that leaving was the best chance to start over, to make new lives for themselves. They could leave everything behind for good. They had the power to make it anywhere. But she was starting to feel guilty about their actions on the planet. 17 had stopped feeling guilty long ago. He thought 18 had too.

"Look, we both know there's...no way to start over here. Space is a big unknown, but if the space king is the strongest in the universe, I say we stand a pretty good chance out there."

She nodded. There only option was to run away, and to take the opportunity as soon as possible. They could choose how to live their lives this time. "Let's go find a spaceship then."

"Just making sure you knew what the smarter option was. Plus, I'll get to fly a freaking spaceship! Though I guess I regret not having the chance to punch that 13 asshole. He'll hold a special place in my heart for most obnoxious asshole."

"Well, maybe if we're lucky, we can punch his face in on the way out."

* * *

They walked into an ambush. Gohan and the others made it to their first outpost, which was a few miles outside of the ruins of an old city in the mountains, just a bit north of North City. When they went to investigate the ruins of the former settlement, they found the new trio of Androids when they jumped out from the empty buildings.

The lead Android, number 13, was quick to separate Gohan in a one-on-one brawl through the city streets. The other two Androids kept Trunks, Dore, and Neiz busy.

Neiz raced down the street, with the shorter Android 15 keeping pace with him across the other street. The Zaltian attempted to lose the Android several times, but 15 never lost track of his target. The game of cat and mouse finally ended when 15 used his superior speed to close the gap, and hover right in front of Neiz.

"Gotcha!" Neiz shot his hands out to grab at the purple skinned Android. 15 swiftly grabbed the soldier's wrists with a cocky smirk. The Android's smugness vanished when he realized Neiz was smiling back at him. "Point-Blank Shocker!" Neiz's body was suddenly enveloped in a pink, electrically charged power. The gathered energy moved through Neiz's arms, and latched directly onto 15.

The short Android sputtered and went rigid as the electric ki numbed every motor and sensor in his body. Neiz managed to break his wrists free from the paralyzed 15's grasp.

" _Dore's...!"_ Above the battle, a burning green aura was coming down like a meteor. With both of his powerful fists put forward, Dore came down at shattering speeds on 15. The impact of his fists smashing into 15's back unleashed a booming thunderclap that echoed throughout the city. "COMET CRUSHER!" Android 15 went smashing through the city floor, lifting up the nearby buildings off of their foundation. The rupture brought down an entire city block's worth of buildings into collapsing piles of rubble around and in a newly formed crater.

Neiz turned his head as he heard blasts of energy going off nearby. "Come on! We've got to help the Saiyan brat."

Dore spat to the side with a cocky smile on his face as he looked at the results of his destructive handiwork. "Even if that purple shrimp is alive, that's gotta hurt him."

"Well just remember there's two more we gotta destroy," Neiz snapped. Dore nodded his head and followed his partner as the pair quickly shot off towards the sound of explosions nearby.

Trunks jumped back, dodging 14's strike as he threw another golden bomb at the large brute. He learned quickly that direct attacks didn't stop 14, so he hoped to wear him down with a series of run-and-hit tactics. It hadn't worked, but Trunks did manage to stay one step ahead of 14's attacks.

14 dove forward and reached out to grab the demi-Saiyan. Trunks ducked below 14's arm and pulled his arms back to charge a point-blank energy attack. 14 brought his head crashing down on Trunks before he could fire his attack off, and sent the lavender haired hero smashing through the side of a skyscraper.

He decided to end the minor pest off from the start, and launched a compressed green energy wave that went slicing through the lower half of the building. The tower started to collapse in on itself, likely to bury the child inside.

Trunks came blasting out, his roaring blue aura trailing in a streak behind him as he drove his fist straight for 14's face. The Android snatched the boy's hand out of the air without so much as a blink. Trunks scowled furiously as he poured more power into his arm, trying to push through 14, who had yet to make an effort.

A gigantic fist came crashing into Trunks' stomach, causing the boy to double over with a choked cry, before 14 threw him toward the ground. With the boy defenseless in the air, and holding a clean line of sight, 14 prepared another bladed energy wave to launch at Trunks. The edged wave of energy fired out and cut its way toward Trunks.

"Move, brat!" Dore shot across the clearing and lifted Trunks out of the way of the Android's strike. 14 scowled at the new annoyance and followed Dore's trail through the air.

"Neiz Slicer!" 14 turned around as the tall crimson alien threw its arms forward in a downward X formation, releasing two bladed energy strikes. He retaliated quickly, launching an energy blast up to stop Neiz's ambush.

Trunks saw their opening, quickly breaking himself out of Dore's grasp. "Hit him now!" The green skinned brute caught on quickly, charging a charge of power in his hand, causing sparks to burst out around his arm. "Masenko! HA!"

"Blitzing Blaster!" Both Trunks and Dore launched a pair of overwhelmingly charged waves of yellow energy.

The attacks moved too quickly for 14 to stop it when he turned to them. 14 tried to weather the storm by raising his arms up over his chest to block the cataclysmic attack. The combined blasted unleashed a devastating explosion that ripped out with enough force to break the surrounding buildings in half. When the smoke cleared, 14 was revealed to be undamaged from the twin attacks.

"Shit," Dore murmured.

Things turned even bleaker as Android 15 arrived next to his partner. There were only a few scuffs on his person, and his large green hat was gone, revealing the mechanical brain underneath a glass dome on the top half of his head.

"These punks got some fight in em, 14." The silent warrior said nothing as he stared directly at Dore and Trunks. "You don't think they got any tricks left, do you? If that's all they got I say we toy with them awhile. 13 is gonna wanna enjoy going one-on-one with Mister Gohan for awhile."

"I do not find sport in toying with our enemies. But there's still the Devil's Pair to hunt down later."

"Exactly. We can play with the small fry as a warm up."

Trunks, Dore, and Neiz prepared for a full assault from the pair of Androids. Their chances of survival were dropping fast. That didn't mean they were going to give up without a fight.

Gohan lured 13 into an abandoned building through a broken hole in the side of the wall. He turned halfway through and launched a golden energy bomb at the pursuing Android. 13 spun to the side to avoid the trap Gohan was trying to snare him in. The bomb hit behind 13, allowing him to gain distance on the explosion that brought the building down around them.

Both Gohan and 13 came blasting out of the skyscraper just before it collapsed behind them. 13 rushed Gohan swiftly to stop his endless dodging. The hero turned to meet the Android's attack, breaking out in a brawl with 13. Gohan moved to keep up with the highly advanced Android, trading and blocking blows equally. Though it did not bode well that 13 was simply smiling the during the entire exchange.

13 threw a sweeping kick for Gohan's midsection. The Saiyan hero blocked the attack, bracing his forearm to absorb the hit without giving in to the Android's attack. Gohan lashed out in retaliation, bringing his foot in an upward strike. His boot slammed hard into 13's chin, sending the Android flying upward through the air. Gohan sought to end the fight quickly, summoning Krillin's signature Destructo Disc hovering in his hand. He threw it straight and true, hoping to destroy Android 13 quickly.

Android 13 looked down to see the serrated attack flying towards him. He quickly stopped himself in the air and swung his arm sideways, chopping through the flat side of the Destructo Disc. The attack was spread through the air as brief, faint flickers of light. However, this left 13 open as Gohan came powering through, driving his fist into the redneck's jaw. The blow certainly hurt, but it didn't do nearly as much damage as Gohan wanted.

13 was quick to counter, throwing a spinning windmill kick at the hero. Gohan was gone long before the blow could connect with him. "C'mon city boy! Is that all ya got?!"

"Don't count on it." Gohan powered up with a golden aura exploding around him. His hair spiked upward and and turned the same golden shade as his power, unleashing his Super Saiyan form.

"Good," 13 grinned. "Now we can get this fight started for real!"

"After you."

13 rushed forward, and Gohan raced to meet him. The two warriors crashed into each other, breaking out in another, faster brawl together. Their blows collided against each other, causing echoing impacts bouncing off the buildings nearby. 13 was making an effort to keep up with Gohan as a Super Saiyan.

The skirmish was broken when Gohan pulled his head back from a haymaker 13 threw at him. Gohan narrowly avoided the heavy strike, and then quickly shot both legs up. His boots connected to 13's chin, throwing the Android into the outer wall of a building. Gohan moved in, his fist cocked back and aimed for 13's chest. He drove the punch forward, plowing 13 through the wall he was embedded in. They both pushed into the building as the wall collapsed.

13 launched a red energy blast that Gohan narrowly avoided. The Super Saiyan retaliated with a golden shot that his opponent dodged as well. The two continued to move and fire at each other, dodging and blasting each other's attacks out of the air. Golden and red blasts tore out every direction of the skyscraper, along with the occasional explosion from within the building itself. They finally took their battle outside when 13 finally booted Gohan out of a window.

Gohan quickly dodged 13's follow up strike, and spun around him, driving his knee into the back of the Android's head. 13 cried out as the blow nearly broke his neck. Gohan placed his hands out in front on 13's back, and blasted him straight towards the ground. The energy blast carried the Android straight through the roof of a smaller building, and upon impact with the ground itself, created an enormous explosion that left only a smoking crater in its wake.

Gohan could tell that 13 wasn't as powerful as 17 and 18 combined, nor was he as crafty or underhanded. In a one-on-one fight, Gohan could hold his own against one of the Devil's Pair, but he was so accustomed to being outnumbered and having his focus divided. Unfortunately for 13, he overestimated himself compared to what Gohan had been raised to battle.

13 rose up out of the smoking crater, his vest all but burned away, and scorch marks covering his body. The arrogant Android was no longer smiling. Gohan had finally damaged him and his pride. "I'm gonna take you apart slowly, boy."

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to have a chance." Gohan's ready challenge only made 13 even angrier.

" _Then maybe I could have a shot?"_ The new voice echoed over the two warriors, and incited the same reaction. Fear.

Gohan turned around and saw a towering green monster standing on the ledge of a building overlooking the battle. He could sense its foul, twisted energy. He could sense the raw chill of death coming off the creature. A fear Gohan felt back when he faced Frieza as a child on Namek.

"I know Android 20 said you had your uses, but maybe you should leave the heavy lifting to me, 13?" Cell descended down on the same level across from Gohan and Android 13, hovering in the air with his arms crossed. "As for you, Gohan, it's a pleasure to finally meet the son of Goku."

He tightened his fists as he glared directly at the creature. He knew what it was. He remembered what Cell did. "You..." The people in Jingle Outpost. Launch. The countless others who fell victim to Cell's cruel appetite. "You're gonna pay..."

Cell laughed at the statement, even as he sensed Gohan's energy spike skyward on the rise. "Oh? I'd love to see you try and make me."

Gohan tightened his jaw, his muscles tensing as they surged with raw energy, fueled by the demi-Saiyan's rage. "Oh don't worry...I'll make sure you will!" The hero pulled on every raw, angry emotion he had building. His power boosted beyond his limits, his aura booming out with explosive force. Gohan's power rose up higher and higher until it finally hit a ceiling. The sudden stop almost caused Gohan's focus to snap then and there. But he held onto his new raw boost in power while it was at its peak, and he was going to use every last bit of it on Cell. "I'm going to make you bleed, monster."

Cell cackled as he raised his fists up. "You're more than welcome to try."

Gohan's golden aura gave another tremendous explosive boost as he charged towards Cell.

* * *

 **So...I'll admit to being guilty for sitting on this chapter for awhile. I finished it I think...a few weeks ago, just never got around to editing it ; That one is on me.**

 **BUT hopefully it was worth the wait. I think so far this is probably one of my favorite chapters as far as writing went. I know some parts might feel...kinda rushed, but I wanted to get everyone into the chapter as much as possible. This is the longest (page-wise) chapter I've written for this story so far.**

 **That being said, I'm hoping Nico's reasoning for offering the Devil's Pair a one-time offer made sense how I wrote it? I don't feel like I'm as good at writing points of morality as well as I think I am. But either way, 17 and 18's development serves the story for the greater good as far as the long run goes. Speaking of Androids with morality, yay more Android 3!**

 **As for the random scene with King Chappa and his group, while random and brought up last minute, there are reasons for it. A, a good scene for Cell. B, to show that there was more than just the Resistance and the Fury Force trying to fight the good fight. C, power boost for Cell without him having to gobble up four cities while being chased by Piccolo and Tien like in the original series. So instead, one small pit-stop where a bunch of extra powerful humans are. As for Master Shen...well, he's not going to be relevant to this story anymore, but him surviving by running is to possibly save his character for a sequel...if I do decide in fact to make a sequel to this story (which is still up in the air, because I want to be 100% satisfied with my idea before committing to it). Frigid Future went through a LOT of ironing, as I've mentioned to a few of you, so any sequel stories would have to go through the same process. But for now, I'm focusing on finishing THIS story, so bear with me xD**

 **As for the final scene, yeah, I kinda just threw Gohan and the others in the thick of it without any build up. But...I kinda hope there was enough kinda-sorta foreshadowing that it didn't just seem completely out of left field. And for those of you wondering, the next chapter is going to be action, action and holy crap-baskets, tons of action. So hopefully I can breeze straight through all of that quickly enough, because fight scenes are easy to write...for me at least.**

 **Thank you for reading this far! As always, I appreciate it after eleven chapters of my madness! Eleven chapters with moar to come!**


	12. Chapter 12: Uneasy Alliances

Her title of Overseer was taken quite literally now. News had been passed through the Resistance about their leader, Launch's death. Vi, Videl, and a few of the other unofficial officers of the Resistance were busy putting together a ceremony to honor their leader of thirteen years. They only had such a luxury thanks to Bulma running drone coordination in construction, scouting, and defense while also rebuilding the entire Red Ribbon mainframe from the ground up to work for them, rather than just Red or Gero. All of which were made immensely easier with the help of Android 3 at her side.

3 would never be able to brawl with the big boys like she use to, but that's what she wanted. When Bulma and Nimu fixed her, it only limited 3's power, not her mind. From what Bulma could tell, 3 seemed happier this way. It certainly made her work on rebuilding such an intricate mainframe like the one Gero set up a whole lot easier.

"Successfully taken down the Cobalt Firewall," 3 announced. She had wires and cables sticking out of her back, connecting her to the main Red Ribbon computer, which was connected to the console Bulma was working from.

"You're a miracle worker," Bulma said with glee as her purging program began to wipe out all data in the systems, while recreating the files in a new, secured system. The last thing the Resistance needed was to be caught off guard by Android 20 hacking through their defenses. "Uploading the Brief's software now." The transfer started, steadily rising through the progress bar to completion.

"Your genius really is quite astonishing," 3 admitted. "Even with my assistance, purging so much of Android 9 and Doctor Gero's personal data would take months. We've wiped out over half of it in a matter of hours."

"Trust me 3, without your help this would have taken me weeks."

"A feat which is still impressive in it's own right," the redheaded Android pointed out. "You may even be smarter than Doctor Gero himself was."

Bulma smiled proudly at 3's praise. It certainly meant a lot to someone who could process information at light speed. "Well I'd rather not build a new army of Androids. Uh, no offense."

"None taken."

The upload was complete. Bulma's software was now fully integrated into the system. "Maybe I'll build a time machine."

"I predict that would be a very dangerous thing to tamper with."

Bulma just smiled. She certainly wasn't wrong. "I'm joking, 3. Doing something like that would be...astronomical."

"Agreed. Moving on the purge Maroon Safeguard."

Bulma just shook her head as 3 began to unravel the safeguard protocol. "They certainly had a fascination with colors." She didn't quite understand it herself. Though she had yet to nearly conquer the entire planet under the force of an all powerful army. But she was getting there.

"Done."

"And starting the purge." The progress bar started over again, moving along quicker than before. A smaller system most likely, but Bulma wouldn't take any chances. Every spare scrap of data had to be purged and rewritten to clear any bugs or hidden surprises the Red Ribbons might have left for them.

"Bulma...?" The Overseer looked over at the quiet Android. Immediately, her motherly instincts could tell something was bothering 3. "Do you truly believe that there is a place for us...? Androids, I mean, after this is all over...?"

"I keep my word, and so does Gohan. I promise, you'll be safe with us." The crimson haired Android was unconvinced. "3, we've befriended and accepted our enemies before. From a shapeshifting pig, to a clumsy desert bandit, a three-eyed assassin, an evil Namekian, and a Saiyan prince who has a body count higher than you and your siblings put together. And you've already shown everyone your dedication to change in order to live in peace with us."

"I still have my doubts. Not of you, or of Gohan keeping his word. I just worry that someday my existence will no longer be tolerated, and the crimes that I am responsible for will come back to haunt me..."

If Bulma had no experience dealing with a reformed murderer's demons, she would almost have been disheartened by 3's worries. But her dedication to helping humanity, as well as her being so vocal about her doubts spoke volumes about Android 3's humanity. "Trust me, the fact that it worries you is a good thing in this case. Just don't spend every waking minute focusing on just that and you'll be fine."

"What worries me even more...is that I could have kept my exceptional power and skills, have the upgrade to possibly fight on par with Nico, or perhaps Nimu. If anyone were to perish when I could have saved them..."

With a half-Saiyan son and the Saiyan father that sired him, Bulma was so use to talking people _out_ of a fight, she had no clue what to say to someone who didn't want to fight. "Believe me, I've got my own reasons for worrying myself half to death. But we put our faith in the others to win the fight, just like you did with 16, Nico, and Nimu. You don't worry about what might happen if they don't come back, you just have faith that they _do_ come back."

"And if one day the worst should happen?"

That question would never leave anyone's minds. Not even the most optimistic survivor could know that every time Gohan and Trunks would make it back. Bulma never stopped asking that question. Because there was only one answer. "We get ready for the end..."

* * *

Gohan charged through another building as he moved towards Cell, only for the bio-android to dodge at the last second. On the other side of the skyscraper, Android 13 dropped down with his boots aimed for Gohan's head. The Super Saiyan blocked the blow with his forearm, then grabbed 13's leg and swung him down low into the same building behind him. The whole structure collapsed after 13 crashed through it.

" _Believe it or not..."_ Gohan turned around quickly, facing Cell. "This is certainly the most resistance I've ever gotten out of my prey before. But I suppose comparing earthlings to the power of a Super Saiyan isn't at all fair."

Cell laughed as his words visibly infuriated Gohan. All the deaths caused by Cell were being waved around in Gohan's face, reminding him of his failures. Jingle Outpost, Launch, and they were undoubtedly the tip of the iceberg. Gohan charged his power, hitting that wall again, but gaining a tremendous boost nonetheless as he charged Cell again.

Rather than pull a disappearing act, Cell simply moved back to avoid Gohan's swinging fist. Before the hero could react, Cell brought his three-toed foot up and booted Gohan across the clearing. He stopped himself in the air, blood running down from the corner of his mouth. Even with a boost in power, Gohan still wasn't a match for Cell. He wasn't even close to the power he sensed from Cooler's transformation. Gohan regretted letting Cooler go in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber first.

"You know, having someone who can fight back gives me the perfect opportunity to try all sorts of new techniques." Cell raised his hands, clenching his three fingers into tightly balled fists. "I've had a lot of time to come up with some interesting ideas!" The creature began to shout and Gohan sensed a spike in power similar to Tien's energy signature. The skin and bio-armor stretched out behind is shoulders, sprouting two new appendages. The skin tightened and molded the growths into a pair of new arms, identical to Cell's first pair of lanky arms. "Ahh, there we go. You may have been unaware of Tien Shinhan's full prowess, but this is an ability of his known as the Four Witches Technique. I'm sure it's already menacing enough," Cell taunted, flexing his fingers and showing off his deadly tipped nails. "But when we also combine that with the bone-blades of Shira, of the Nudoru Unit."

Gohan braced himself as he knew the alien Cell spoke of all too well. The dreaded Ankoku warrior that Gohan helped defeat alongside Tien. The bladed claw extensions pushed out of Cell's arms, each one nearly half the length of the bio-android's arm. Gohan was forced to stare down each razor edged claw, having terrible flashbacks of the invasion sixteen years ago.

"Personally, I've always wanted to try this one out..."

Gohan raised his arms to defend as the cackling Cell charged forward. The Super Saiyan watched his opponent's arms closely, waiting for their inevitable strike. It came swinging down from above. Gohan ducked down below the blades, and Cell's extra set of hands, then shot himself straight into the creature's mouth head-first. His skull crashed into Cell's face, rocking the creature back. Cell's original set of arms pulled down, ready to strike up. Gohan moved before Cell could swing.

The empty strike left Cell off balance, allowing Gohan an opening to sneak behind him. He wrapped his arms around both sets of Cell's arms and pulled back sharply, preventing him from moving. Cell growled as he tried to break Gohan's grip, to no avail. Though it took all of Gohan's strength to hold four sets of arms together from behind Cell's back. The monster couldn't break the Super Saiyan's hold either though.

"Well, this is annoying..." Gohan felt the shifting of Cell's tail beneath his feet. He looked back and saw the stinger coming straight for him. He released Cell to dodge his tail by spinning around the strike. "Ha!" Gohan took Cell by surprise when he grabbed the monster's tail, and immediately flew down to the ground. Cell was yanked through the air helplessly, shouting in frustration as Gohan's speed and pull on his tail made it impossible to stop him.

The hero blasted down to the ground at top speed, dragging Cell along with him. Gohan swung his opponent forward, holding onto his tail. As Cell went flying toward the ground, Gohan stopped and pulled back with all of his might. The two opposing forces were more than enough to tear Cell's tail off from his backside. The bio-android gave an even higher pitched cry of agony, before he crashed through the ground a second later. Gohan tossed the severed tail down at Cell before he pulled his hands back by his hips.

"Ka-me-ha-me..." A blue orb of energy gathered between the warrior's palms. The orb expanded, becoming brighter and hotter as more energy was poured into it. The blue energy started to shift into a blinding white glow, before the energy shifted colors again to a fiery yellow. Gohan could almost feel the full energy beyond the wall, beyond his limits, as he drew on that power through the cracks and poured it all into his attack. The air around the golden warrior whipped and lashed out from the pressure of the burning yellow energy ball. "HAAA!" Gohan launched his Burning Kamehameha Wave down at Cell.

Unleashing the wave shook the city as a booming crash echoed out for miles. The burning yellow wave was large enough to wipe out a city block as it detonated, and it was all crashing down upon Cell. Heat rolled off the blast in waves, scorching over anything that it didn't completely obliterated.

Once the blast had faded, all that was left was a smoking hole in the ground, and a few chunks of city left scorched but intact. The heat from the attack left a lasting effect as the air itself roiled around the center of the explosion. Gohan was sweating from the heat, and from the exertion of energy. He wasn't drained, and his energy was recharging slowly. After such a huge blast, Gohan was just happy to have any energy left. He was going to need all he could get to survive when he sensed Cell was still alive.

The monster rose up out of the scorching hole in the ground, hovering across from Gohan. The hero was gifted one silver lining to confronting Cell with less than full strength. "Well, I got two and a half of them at least."

Cell wore a sour look on his face as his eyes moved to his right, and only whole, arm. "If I had known you were going to throw a tantrum, I wouldn't have stared these games from the beginning..." With a loud shout, and a spike in energy akin to Piccolo's signature, Cell's left arm regrew out from the stump Gohan had blasted it to, along with his tail. "Now that I know you're a weight class higher, it means I don't have to hold back as much, brat."

Gohan's most powerful attack, rendered inert by Piccolo's regeneration ability. A pointless effort, one that put Gohan's life at risk. Cell dashed forward almost faster than Gohan could see. Cell's fist came breaking through Gohan's guard like a wrecking ball, sending the half-Saiyan hero flying sideways across downtown. The bio-android gave chase, a golden aura flaring to life around him as he closed in on his prey. The hero twisted around to face Cell directly. The two combatants met the other's fierce eyes, both filled with malice. Gohan swung both legs up at Cell's midsection. His opponent twisted to one side to dodge Gohan's feet, before he locked them in his clutches. Gohan was trapped, but he wasn't helpless. He gathered a small energy bomb in his hand, then pulled his body up and hurled the ball of golden energy directly at Cell's face. The attack struck home, covering Cell's entire head in a small, powerful explosion. Gohan managed to get his feet free, and flipped away to get some distance from Cell. Once he faced his opponent, Gohan ignited his aura and blasted himself shoulder-first into Cell's chest.

Cell was pushed back, allowing Gohan to press into his foe with a storm of powerful, crushing blows across his body. Gohan pressed his assault, driving Cell back slowly. His fists tore through the air at a blinding pace, as did his legs as he spread out a series of striking knees and crushing kicks with devastating punches. Gohan finished the assault with a fist crashing across Cell's jaw. The monster went directly into the ground like a speeding bullet punching through the earth. Gohan took the quick moment he had to charge up his energy, pushing desperately against that cracked wall. It wouldn't give any further.

Cell came blasting out of the ground, driving his knee into Gohan's abdomen, nearly splitting the hero in half. Blood flooded out of his mouth as he drifted back, clutching his stomach with bulging eyes. His lower half weighed heavily on him, and the pain in his stomach struck right through him. Cell was watching him, staring him down, waiting for Gohan's next move. All of his efforts were just angering the murderous bio-android. There wasn't a chance in hell he could stop Cell.

That didn't mean he wouldn't try. Gohan pushed through the pain and powered up, charging Cell again with his aura ablaze.

Android 13 frowned as he watched Cell toy with the hero that gave him so much trouble. He thought about jumping in and attacking Cell alongside Gohan, but his pride wouldn't allow him to stoop so low as to help the Super Saiyan. With any luck, Gohan would find a way to give 13 the opening he needed to take Cell down once and for all.

If not, Gohan would simply die. And as long as Cell didn't acquire 17 or 18, 13 still had an ace up his sleeve to deal with the monstrous bio-android.

* * *

Dore and Neiz were both knocked back, flying towards each other at crashing speeds. As soon as they bounced off of the other, their opponents, 14 and 15 appeared above them to drive their boots into the pair's backside.

Trunks charged in to blast Android 14 from behind, but was stopped when an unbreakable grip clasped down on the back of his neck. "Pitiful. Even at full power, Gohan is barely even a match for Cell. And the rest of you...are less than worthless." Trunks swung his leg back to kick Android 20 in the face. The wrinkled old Android caught the boy's foot with his other hand. "Even Android 3, an infinitely inferior, and flawed model created by Doctor Gero put up a better fight than you sorry lot."

Android 20 pulled back on Trunks' neck and foot. The stubborn youth screamed out in pain as his spine was being bent in the opposite direction. 20 had every intention of breaking the brat in half, but first he would savor Trunks' pain.

As Trunks' screams filled the streets, Dore and Neiz were busy fending for their lives as 14 and 15 started to toy with them, as a cat would do a cornered mouse. The Androids could have easily overwhelmed and killed both of them, but instead they chose to torment the pair instead. They would spot their opening, and peck at it, never doing more than antagonizing keeping Dore and Neiz distracted. The alien pair were both painfully aware of how outclassed they were. They couldn't even fight back against the Android's speed, strength, and power.

"Looks like these jokers don't have any tricks left," 15 said with a disapproved frown. "I say we waste em, 14."

"That will not be a problem," the large brute replied. He charged forward towards Dore and Neiz. The pair put their guard up as an unseen force came crashing down into 14, knocking him off the track to the enemy pair.

"What the—," Neiz looked down to see 14 circling back around toward them. Another blur went crashing into the giant, pushing him further off course. The speedy target was a small boy about the size of the little screaming demi-Saiyan struggling against 14. "Who the hell is that?!"

"One of those other Androids undoubtedly," Dore stated. "The big one said there were two others. That means..."

Neiz turned as 15 went racing to save his partner. He and Dore began charging up the Armor Squadron's Light Show, shouting out as they sent both blasts to intercept. 15 turned to oncoming attack which prompted him to stop and turn toward the fused attack coming towards him. The small Android effortlessly backhanded the blast, smacking it harmlessly to the side.

The deflection provided an opening on 15 as Dore came charging in, slamming his knee into the small Android's abdomen. 15 managed to block the strike with both hands to catch the attack, but was still pushed back considerably from his weaker opponent. Dore strained against 15 as he started to push back, but the Beppa brute's size and raw power allowed him to keep his own. But all Dore had to do was keep the Android distracted. He grinned down at the 15, who noted Dore's confidence.

In an instant, a blood red bolt of crackling energy came down like a flash of lightning, taking 15 from floating in the sky to being buried underground in a second. The powerful, electrical bolt wavered briefly before causing a devastating explosion that echoed with the force of twenty thunderclaps overlapping each other.

"HA! Nice shot Neiz!" Above Dore's head was his Zaltian partner, who was running dry on his energy after the Bolting Bomb, one of his ultimate techniques.

Android 20 turned his attention to the new explosion, or rather explosions. He only saw one source before something struck him in the back of the head with numbing force. Trunks was freed from the old Android's grasp as 20 lurched forward with a pained shout. Android 20 turned as Nico's fist came crashing into his jaw. Nico followed up with a sweeping kick aimed at 20's head to remove it from his shoulders. The old Android ducked down swiftly, losing only his metallic hat from his head. The vanity piece was a durable metal, but it still folded in half under the force of Nico's kick.

With his opening provided, 20 shot back up, grabbing Nico by the leg. The albino Android suddenly felt a terrible, fiery pain explode from her chest, and quickly spread throughout her body as her energy was sucked out of her leg and into Android 20's hand. As she screamed out at the unusual burst of pain overwhelming her, 20 grinned maniacally and sent her flying into a pile of rubble down on the street as he threw her down like discarded trash.

The look and feel of satisfaction as injuring a rebellious creation was ruined when the weakened demi-Saiyan came charging at 20 from behind. Without looking, the older Android shot his elbow back straight into Trunks' nose. The boy cried out as two streams of blood shot out of his nose. 20 turned around to grab the boy and drain him of what energy he had left. In the second it took Android 20 to pull his arm back to finish Trunks, another arm locked around under his arm and around his neck. Before he could comprehend the iron lock under his chin, Nico pulled down on 20, throwing him over her hip and clean through two separate buildings.

"Trunks, stay behind me!" Normally, he would have argued about taking orders from an Android, but for once he stayed his tongue.

Before he could regain his wits, Trunks was suddenly pulled down by the collar of his Capsule Corporation shirt. He looked up from Nico pulling him down, realizing she had saved his life again from a piercing pair of lasers, undoubtedly fired from the unseen Android 20. Trunks caught sight of the old android as he came speeding towards them like a rocket curving around the building. He wouldn't be able to block 20's attack in time. Nico pulled herself to the side as 20 reached for her, allowing his arm to graze her shoulder. She grabbed his arm and locked it down, holding him in place. Trunks jumped back as 20's hand stopped mere inches from his face. Nico threw a drop-kick at 20's midsection, causing him to fold over before getting hurled back across the clearing once Nico released his arm.

Android 20 stopped himself before he collided with anything this time. He wore an even, passive scowl on his face before slowly floating back up on even ground with Nico and Trunks. She was ready to continue the fight, standing firmly between Android 20 and Trunks.

"No...!" Trunks moved next to Nico, wearing a scowl and taking a stance against 20. He refused to be a hindrance in battle. He was determined to fight. "I'm not going to sit on the sidelines this time!"

"Fine with me," Nico replied, calmly, without taking her eyes off her target. Trunks didn't show it, but he was rather surprised to finally have someone agree with him. And of course it had to be an Android who trusted him instead of his own friend. Or maybe Nico was simply that desperate.

* * *

The sight of endless destruction normally never bothered them. Normally, they enjoyed taking a moment to bask at their handiwork after devastating a city, town, or settlement. Standing in the center of the scorched junkyard was the first time either 17 or 18 could remember feeling such dread.

They caught the tail end of the crash site at first, following the trench to the point where half of what they could only assume to be a spaceship was lying in a wrecked junk heap. The other half was scattered around the mile long trench, and across the crater where it all turned into a pile of junk.

There went the only hope of getting off Earth.

"Why would he do this," 18 asked. "Why the hell would he crash his own ship?"

"Reality giving us the middle finger?" 18 scowled at her brother, who had his back turned to her as he kicked a piece of debris with the toe of his shoe. Despite his former enthusiasm with the plan, 17 was unusually calm.

Then she examined the area he was facing. Patches of cleared dirt in the charred earth, piles of debris scattered, and even a few boot prints along with three-toed tracks. Obvious signs of a struggle. "They...they killed him?"

"Certainly doesn't look good for the lizard king," 17 stated. "I can't even find a body." 18 began to wonder how exactly they could bring down a ship. And Cooler himself was no slouch in a fight, presuming that he wasn't in pieces after the crash when the struggle broke out. But the struggle seemed small, contained. There wasn't even any sign of an attack that _could_ wipe out the Arcosian monarch. "So...what now?"

18 snapped out of her musings to look back at her brother. "What do you mean?"

"Our plan was to run, wasn't it? I think that option is clearly stricken from our list of possibles." They were stuck. No way off, nowhere to run, and they were too proud to hide again. "Sis...we've gotta make a choice..."

"What choice is there?" she asked. Between her and her brother, they had wiped out over half of the planet's population over a slow, drawn out period of time. They brought the people of Earth to their knees, tortured and slaughtered them. If they wanted to, they could send everything back to the stone age within weeks, if they were unhindered. There was no chance they could be forgiven, that anyone would help them.

Well, anyone else. But without a means of escaping the planet, their choice was made for them.

"What...what do you think we should do, Lapis?"

He smirked at her, "You're asking me?"

18 sighed, defeated and desperate. And of course her brother would choose to be a smug asshole about it. There was only one option for them, and 18 was too proud to say it out loud. "You're the only one with a plan in mind..."

"You're not going to like it." She just shook her head and crossed her arms. It was the only option they had. "Well...the way I see it, we owe the twerps one for helping us out. And we didn't get the chance to off Gero before he became an Android like us..."

"So, that's it?"

"Run off and pick a fight, figure out the rest later. Simple enough?"

17 flashed a smile back at his sister. She was bitter that he could face the uncertain with such a relaxed attitude. It was infectious, as 18 smiled back at him, even if she didn't mean it. Maybe, she thought, 17 didn't mean it either. "Guess we don't have a choice."

"Might as well make the most of it, huh?"

18 nodded. She and 17 took off to the sky, back the way they had came. It was better to go down swinging either way. And she was still itching for a fight.

* * *

Nimu's sensors alerted him to something speeding at him. Quickly he shot up and avoided what appeared to be Dore thrown at him. Nimu reacted fast, grabbing the brute's hair and pulled him up, out of the way of 14's blitzing attack. Even though he saved the green skinned beast, Dore still let out a howl of pain before Nimu let go.

"GAH! Son of a—there are easier ways to take my head off you know?!"

"If I hadn't saved you, Android 14 would have undoubtedly succeeded in that task." Dore's face paled a bit at the thought. Nimu's eyes shifted past the brute, seeing 15 charging straight for them. He quickly shoved Dore out of the way and braced himself before the purple Android came slamming into him.

The two short fighters broke out into a speedy skirmish. Within seconds, the two had already moved their battle down the street, several blocks away from where Dore watched with awe. "PAY ATTENTION!" Dore snapped his head around as a the Neiz Slicer collided with Android 14's compressed, light green energy blade, only a few meters away from the brute. The resulting explosion pushed Dore back as he shielded his face from the furious winds lashing out at him, and the blinding light from the resulting blast.

A figure appeared in front of the green skinned brute. As soon as Dore comprehended the danger he was in, 14 sent him flying with a devastating kick to his midsection. The hulking soldier went crashing through a half destroyed building, bowling through the wall, bouncing across the floor, before finally flying out of a window on the opposite side. Shattered glass rained down after him, as Dore's unconscious body fell nearly a dozen stories to the ground.

14's scanners picked up movement. He raised his arm up lazily, not budging an inch under Neiz's sweeping kick. The Zaltian let out an upset hiss as 14 grabbed his leg with the same arm he used to block. With Neiz trapped, 14 countered by twisting the other direction, bringing the back of his fist to the alien's head. Before the Android could make contact, Neiz's head suddenly vanished down into his torso. 14's eyes widened as his knuckles passed through the empty air. When Neiz's head popped back out, he wore a delighted grin before slamming his hands onto the Android's chest. A charge of electrical energy burst from Neiz's arms, pushing it down into Android 14's chest. The charge poured into the Android, coursing and surging through every system and circuit of his body, causing 14 to twitch and spasm erratically.

Neiz pulled back as 14 stayed put, his body tense "Heh, looks like that works on _all_ of you Androids." He considered thanking Android 3 at some point for sharing with Neiz just how poorly his Bind Wave mixed with her systems during their last encounter. It gave Neiz an edge, even if he wasn't as powerful as the Androids, he could still disrupt their systems. His Bind Wave seemed to work even better on robotic enemies than it did organics. "Even though I'd love to knock your head around some more..." Neiz shot past the paralyzed Android and started to search for the smaller pair that took off. If he was going to have a chance of surviving, let alone winning, he was going to have to coordinate with a partner. He and Dore couldn't put a dent in either opponent, while Nimu seemed capable of holding his own against them. That was their only shot of turning the tides.

Neiz's search came to an abrupt end when Nimu and Android 15 came barreling across the ground beneath the Zaltian. From what he could tell as he went racing onto the scene, it seemed as if 15 was losing the fight. Neiz was about to make it a certainty.

He charged another Bind Wave in his arms, and fired it at Android 15. As soon as the attack launched, Neiz was sent plummeting to the ground by a powerful shoulder-charge from behind. 14 was gone before Neiz crashed down on the streets, off to aid Android 15.

The sneak attack from Neiz successfully hit its target. 15's body tensed, and his body went on the fritz from the high energy voltage attack. Nimu paused at the readings he was getting from 15's body after being struck with such an attack. Such an unusual energy wave with such an efficient immobilizing effect on an Android of 15's caliber. It took only a second to scan over, process, and log the effects of Neiz's attack on his fellow Android. Nimu quickly rushed to capitalize on his moment of opportunity.

He moved in to strike, but just before his attack would have landed, 14 came down, smashing his elbow into the back of the unsuspecting Android's head. Nimu was thrown to the ground with enough force that he bounced off the pavement. 14 quickly gave him the boot, sending Nimu flying back down the street, and away from 15. The miniature Android flipped back and slid back across the ground in a crouched position, tearing through the ground under his boots and gloved hand.

The effects of Neiz's Bind Wave wore off of 15. The purple skinned Android collapse to the ground in a limp heap. Nimu watched carefully as his scanners picked up the results of 15's systems as they rebooted one by one. "Curious..." While he was leagues apart from the Androids, Neiz's power was a critical weakness to them. Even if the effects didn't last long, they still required Android 15 to reboot over half of his systems, effectively shutting him down for the five seconds it took for him to start up again. With a model as advanced and complicated as Android 15, whose systems were on par with even Nimu's, Neiz's Bind Wave was nothing to snub.

Android 15 staggered back to his feet with 14 standing guard over him. Together they presented a problem for Nimu, especially without the help of the others. He would have to hold them off until he could get backup. Thankfully, despite the bleak odds Gohan was facing, Nimu's long-range motion trackers were picking up a speeding object on approach that would prove to even the tides against the monstrous Cell.

* * *

Gohan fell back as the bio-android floated forward, taking every hit and strike that the hero threw at him without so much as a blink. He was running on fumes trying to fend off Cell, and nothing was slowing the fiend down. Gohan pulled back a far distance from Cell and squared off against him. The foul creature stopped across from his victim, giving Gohan time to catch his breath.

"A valiant, foolish effort, but one befitting your nature," Cell said. "Given the idiotic hero your father was." Gohan snarled at the insult thrown at his dead father. "But this is where Son Goku's line ends..." Cell chuckled callously and flexed his arms. "Well, barring the powers of his I carry within me that is. But don't feel too bad. I'll put Goku's genes to much better use than you ever did..."

Gohan tensed as something raced past him at blinding speeds, nearly bowling him over with just the speed force alone. The moving object collided against Cell, causing the creature to howl out in agony as the figure smashed into him. Android 16 proceeded to lay into Cell with a series of powerful, penetrating blows. The gigantic Android's fists bombarded Cell from top to bottom before one such strike knocked him down the street, where the pummeled monster stopped himself. The sudden attack took a moment for Cell to register, before his slit pupils slid smoothly to a battle ready 16. Gohan stood dumbfounded by his apparent savior, and the speedy arrival of said rescue. Where he had barely caused Cell to blink, 16 made the bio-android scream in pain. And Cell hardly appeared happy to realize this fact.

"Do not interfere," 16 ordered Gohan. "Cell is too powerful for you to handle."

Gohan allowed himself to relax now that 16 was taking over. "I won't argue with that..."

Cell growled at the new arrival. "What's this? Another annoyance come to get in my way?" 16 lowered himself to the streets to prepare for Cell's eventual counterattack. "When will you maggots learn to just stay out of my way?! Any new Android is irrelevant against me! I was created to be perfect!"

"But you are not perfect yet, Cell," 16 countered. "Which means there's more than enough time to deal with you right now."

The bio-android scowled furiously at the new arrival before wiping away the trail of blood running from the corner of his mouth. "When I'm done with you, there won't be enough left of you to recycle into a soda can!"

Cell charged his aura and blitzed towards Gohan and 16 like a mad dog. 16 and Cell traded heavy, thunderous blows with one another at break-neck speeds that Gohan had difficulty following. One thing he could tell was that 16 had his foe on the ropes out from the gate. And Cell knew it.

The bio-android pushed against 16 with all his speed and might, but the Android was too quick, too powerful to fall under the assault. Finally, Cell managed to land a solid blow against 16's jaw, at the sacrifice of also taking a heavy, rising fist into his abdomen. Cell was the one who caved, lifting up and folding around 16's fist with a cry of agony. His tail flailed erratically before lashing down. 16 was gone long before he was any danger from Cell's spiteful retaliation. The bio-android sputtered and clutched the fist shaped dent in his stomach.

"You..." Cell let out a dark growl as he floated higher into the air. "First...Cooler, and now _you!_ " 16's scanners and Gohan's senses picked up a massive spike in Cell's power. Gohan recognized the energy signature as one of King Cold's Royal Guards; the Elegrant known as Biwa. "I...will not be denied by ANY of you!" Cell's starved appearance changed drastically as his form expanded. His upper body increased dramatically, muscles expanding and his sickly green skin also changed, morphing into scales along his black colored splotches, giving the creature a more reptilian appearance.

Gohan had nearly forgotten what it felt like to sense a power so overwhelming that it made him feel inferior. He was reminded too deeply of Namek. Android 16 moved in front of Gohan, facing the monstrous creature. "Gohan, leave Cell to me."

"I think that'd be for the best," the hero admitted. His power boost was starting to wane, but he was still carrying enough strength to throw his weight against the other Androids at least. "You...you can take him, right?"

"Worry about helping the others. I will deal with Cell." 16 and Cell blitzed toward each other. Their collision shook the buildings around, exchanging thunderous blows that Gohan could feel the force from.

"I...won't argue then."

"Neither will I!" Gohan spun around, barely in time to catch the Deadly Bomber crashing on him. The red sphere knocked him out of the air, but Gohan pushed back to stop his unexpected trek in midair. Android 13 hovered in the air with a cruel smirk on his face, watching Gohan struggle with the sneak attack. "Havin' some issues there, boy? This'd be less painful for ya if you just accepted your place! Here..." 13 put both of his hands out in front of him, charging another S.S. Deadly Bomber, "maybe this'll help you, city boy! NOW DIE!"

Gohan's aura burst to around him as he pushed against the first energy attack. It didn't get far before the second bomb struck its target, unleashing an cataclysmic explosion that gave the battlefield a bright red glow. Android 13 grinned in the wake of the winds fluttering his long hair, and the rags left of his vest, basking in the literal glow of his destructive powers. The murderous Android brushed his hands together with a look of satisfaction on his face.

His expression was effectively wiped clean when Gohan's fist slammed into his jaw. The impact sent 13 reeling, knocking his sensors into a small fritz before he squared off against the Super Saiyan. Gohan's shirt was torn across his left shoulder, and his pants were tattered and had a few more holes in them. He looked worse for wear, but despite the scrapes and light scratches from the explosion, Gohan was ready to take 13 down once and for all. The furious Android scowled as he brushed the fake blood running from his nose and the corner of his mouth away with the back of his gloved hand.

"You got more lives than a cat..."

"You don't know the half of it," Gohan replied. "Compared to 17 and 18, you're nothing." 13's scowl hardened. Gohan definitely struck a nerve. The better to unbalance an Android with the inferiority complex. Gohan took a combative stance, preparing himself against 13's inevitable assault. He didn't disappoint, rushing forward with a furious howl.

* * *

A trail of light-green explosions trailed down the street. Nimu continued to dodge and pull back as Android 15 pursued him with a chain of energy bullets flying at him. The tactical Android faced his purple colored counterpart to better predict his attacks, and to spring their trap early. 15 charged two beach ball sized orbs of energy in his hands and sent them flying, both of them ahead of where Nimu's path would take him. The miniature Android quickly pulled himself to a stop, slamming his hands through the ground to anchor himself down. Both explosions went off behind him, throwing up dirt and smoke to block his vision. They certainly didn't lack for creativity nor tenacity. They were just a tad predictable.

Nimu picked up high speed movements on his sensors, and whoever it was came barreling towards him from behind. He turned and pulled his knees to his chest, and shielded himself with his arms as 14 broke through the smoke and sent Nimu flying with a powerful straight punch.

Android 14's strike left no lasting damage on his target. Nimu threw his arms and legs out to slow his momentum, and to eventually pull himself to a complete stop with both hands and feet dug into the ground. The smoke behind 14 finally caught up to him, covering his entire, hulking form from Nimu's eyes. Though that proved to be the least of his problems as his motion sensors picked up yet another ambush from behind.

Nimu jumped forward and quickly twisted around as Android 15 came diving down at him. The purple skinned Android's fist broke through the pavement. Before 15 could dodge, Nimu gave his hips a sharp twist, slamming his foot against the side of the other Android's face. The blow rocked 15's sensors before he was sent flying through an old pile of rubble. Nimu struck 15 with enough force that one of the lenses of his sunglasses was completely shattered before they hit the ground at Nimu's feet. Android 14 moved quickly to take the opportunity to ambush his foe. Fortunately for Nimu, he was one step ahead of his scheming brothers.

Android 14 threw his fist at the back of Nimu's head. The attack was avoided when Nimu fell forward to the ground, catching himself on his hands. He threw his foot up, kicking 14's fist to the side. He followed up by moving his hands, twisting his body around, throwing his legs to slam the heel of his boot against 14's chin. Nimu pushed himself into the air before 14 lifted off the ground, spinning around to swing another kick against the giant's jaw. Nimu used his momentum to pull himself up, and then pushed off of 14's face to move above. Nimu finished his combo with a final, driving kick to the top of the stunned Android's head. Android 14 crashed face-first into the ground, shattering the pavement, and even the ground beneath it.

His target was down, and Nimu aimed to finish 14 off, placing both hands out in front of him. He charged a blue sphere of energy, which expanded and radiated an electrical pulse. Nimu recalculated his aim, pulling the Electric Shot up from 14 to point it at a charging 15, who stopped dead in his tracks in from of Nimu. Time froze around both shorter androids, until Nimu finally launched his attack point-blank. 15 managed to catch the electrical energy ball in time, but the force that Nimu launched it was enough to push the purple colored Android back down the street.

Nimu's eyes moved back down to Android 14, who had pulled himself out of the rubble and came swinging at the tactile foe. Nimu managed to dodge or avert each of 14's strikes, before he charged a surge of energy that he unleashed in an blue colored Explosive Wave. The barrier of power slammed into 14, the rebound throwing him back next to 15.

There was a pause in the battle as 14 and 15 stopped their assault. Nimu's feet touched the ground as he squared off against the pair with a defensive stance. Their coordination and teamwork was enough to keep Nimu on his toes, constantly defending, never attacking except when he could counter. Thankfully, Nimu's advanced motion detector was cutting edge, something that gave him an immediate edge in battle. It made him a force to be reckoned with when it came to fighting his fellow Androids, since his scanners could only detect life energy.

Unfortunately, their battle was a stalemate, dragging out with no clear victor in sight. Nimu could only destroy one of the Androids if he had an opening, or time to execute the killing blow. He was starting to understand how Gohan had trouble with the Devil's Pair for so long, and respected the hell out of the man for surviving so many years against the unfair odds.

But since they were all Android, they never tired, nor did they run out of energy. Android 15 was a 'smart' Android, comparative to Android 3, or Nimu. He was designed to be a tactician, to evaluate the best course of attack, and finish any threat that stood in his way. Android 14 was a standard fighter, big, strong, and powerful. He followed 15's direction, and they both worked together with flawless execution. It was the only advantage Nimu didn't hold in the battle; raw, tactless strength.

"This is getting old, wouldn't you say?" 15 asked as he pulled a flask out of his pocket. His small, cybernetic eyes didn't move, and were a dead giveaway of the miniature Android's true nature. He tilted his head back and took a few gulps from the flask before turning his focus back to Nimu. "You know you can't win this."

"If this battle is any indication, it means you two can't win either." Neither one of them responded positively to Nimu's remark. Nico's knack for sharp backtalk was starting to rub off on him."We're both very well aware that trying to rationalize with the other is pointless in this fight. You're programmed to serve Android 20 without question."

"And what about you three?" 15 asked with a taunting smirk. Something about the Android's attitude hinted at something deeper. What it was, Nimu could only speculate. "What about your programming? You'd risk your lives for those lesser meatbags?"

"Just because they're weaker does not make them lesser."

Android 15 chuckled cruelly before taking a few more gulps from his flask. "Their heroes are dead," 14 continued while his partner drank. "Their world is in ruins, facing extinction, while we could thrive and claim dominion." 15 lowered his flask and gave a quizzical hum.

"Hm...now that's an idea. After we get rid of the stragglers on this planet, we could build our own army. Like how Red tried. Only, ya know, successful."

With Doctor Gero's genius and hatred programmed into Android 20's mind, Nimu had no doubts that it could be done. All the more reason to stop their enemies now.

Both 14 and 15 charged towards Nimu. He readied himself against his foes, before two blurs came crashing down on both 14 and 15. The two Androids were pushed through the dirt, sliding towards a rather startled Nimu. He could hardly believe his eyes as he watched 17 and 18 riding on the backs of 15 and 14 respectively through the ground, arms crossed as casually as if they were simply taking a stroll down the street. Once they stopped in front of Nimu, they Devil's Pair jumped off and took to the sky. Both 14 and 15 were quick to counter, turning around and launching a beam of light-green energy to trail after the siblings.

Nimu moved once their backs were turned, exploiting 14 and 15's vulnerability. He quickly threw a kick into 14's side, under his extended arm, causing him to bend under the blow. Nimu pushed off of the bulky android's side and spun towards 15, dropping to the ground to sweep the purple Android's feet out from under him. Nimu spun onto his back, turning to and firing another Electric Shot at 15. This time, the colorful Android couldn't defend himself, and was carried off by Nimu's attack.

"I've got this one," 18 called out, clutching a glowing pink ball of raw power. She hurled her bomb in an arch, moving on a direct collision course with Android 15's path. "And..." 18's attack collided with Nimu's Electric Shot, causing a devastating explosion that shook the ground beneath Nimu's feet. "Boom."

Android 14 looked in horror as his partner's head flew out of the cloud of smoke and rolled across the ground. He scowled at 18 and lunged at her, but something pulled back on his head when he tried to move. The large brute turned his head, realizing that 17 was holding him by his braid with one hand.

"You know...you have pretty nice hair," 17 admitted. "That's a shame..."

Before 14 could turn to 17, the other member of the Devil's Pair appeared. Driven by rage and vengeance for her own lost locks, she pummeled Android 14 in a storm of punches and kicks while 17 held him up like a punching bag. 18's blows started denting and cracking 14's durable body, before she finished her assault with a blinding whirlwind kick to his face. The blow threw 14 hard enough that his braid ripped off in 17's hand. The broken brute bounced and skidded across the ground before coming to a stop, half of his face dented and broken from 18's savage kick.

17 made a disgusted noise before he discarded the braid in his hand and tossed it back at 14's struggling form. "Gross." He turned to his sister with a smile, "You happy?"

"Almost," 18 replied. She opened her hand, aimed at 14, and fired a pink wave of energy that punched through the giant's chest, and through the ground beneath him. 14's body sparked before it self destructed, throwing smoke and spare parts across the clearing. 18 smiled to herself, putting her hands on her hips. "Much happier now."

"Come on sis, you couldn't leave just one of them for me to finish off?"

"Oh shut up. I left the most obnoxious one for you."

17's face lit up with excitement as he remembered the Red Ribbon redneck. "Oh yeah." He looked over in the direction of Gohan and Android 13's fight. "I wonder how our hero is going to react to that...?" The siblings turned to the sound of footsteps approaching. Nimu stopped where he was, watching both siblings with a certain level of hesitation. He looked like a deer in the headlights, hesitant and unsure of 17 and 18's intentions. Neither of them could really blame him for it. "Hey there. Hope you don't mind some help mopping up this mess. It looks like you guys could use the help anyway."

"You're...both here to assist us?"

The siblings exchanged an uncertain stare with each other. "That's...difficult to explain," 18 admitted, using Nimu's own words on him, back when she first met him. "Right now, we're here to destroy these rejects, and Gero up there."

"That technically is not Doctor Gero, he's just—,"

"You know, I don't really care that much," 17 said, cutting Nimu's explanation off. "He looks like Gero, that's enough of a reason to take him down." He turned to 18. "If I go help our golden boy, is there gonna be anything left of Gero for me to hit?"

The three of them looked up to see Nico battling against Android 20, while Trunks made a valiant effort to fight back. Although the boy seemed to get in the way of the battle as little more than a nuisance."There might be a few pieces left," she replied, snappishly. "Better hurry and take that loser out quick." 18 took off to her battle, leaving the boys behind.

Nimu looked at 17, who met his gaze. "Don't look so serious buddy," 17 said. "We owe you for saving our asses from these clowns."

"And your debt has been repaid." He chuckled before turning with anticipation in his eyes. 17 watched 13 and Gohan battle in the skies above with a smile on his face. "If you...Nico and I could vouch for you and—,"

"Ah, we'll cross that bridge when get to it. For now..." 17 took off into the sky, racing towards the unsuspecting 13.

Nimu watched the rogue android take off in silence. With backup from the Devil's Pair, 13 and 20 wouldn't stand a chance. But what did either sibling have to gain from helping them? The satisfaction of destroying Android 13 and his group, paying off their debt to Nico and Nimu, and beating up a Gero lookalike. But they weren't idiots. Immature and immoral, but not stupid. In the end, when the smoke cleared from the battle, 17 and 18 were faced with the threat of oblivion.

The humans would not tolerate them. Even with Nico and Nimu endorsing them, even with their aid now, the damage done by the Devil's Pair would never be undone. If they didn't choose to go down fighting, humanity would demand blood from both 17 and 18. Their possible, final act was the only heroic one they would be allowed to make.

Nimu turned his eyes, attention and scanners, to locating Dore and Neiz in order to assist them. He may not believe that 17 nor 18 were inherently evil, but they made their bed, and decided their fate. The Devil's Pair, for better or for worse, would not be forgotten, but they could not be saved. And they knew that coming here.

* * *

17 came up fast, grinning as he closed in on his target within seconds. He slammed his forehead into an alarmed 13's face, knocking him back. "GAH! Son of a bitch!" The cocky android snickered at 13's exclamatins before he turned spun like a corkscrew and landed a solid kick at the cursing Android's midsection. His dazed opponent doubled over, clutching his side as he allowed the momentum to carry him away from 17. When Android 13 finally did lay eyes on the new attacker, his face twisted in a mixture of shock and fury. "You?! You just don't know when to quit!"

"I've been told that a lot." 17 didn't have scanners, but he could feel Gohan's burning stare on his back. He had only been on the receiving end of it for over a decade now. "Don't get so angry, Gohan. I've got the scars to prove that you're no stranger to working with 'the bad guys.' Besides, your newest pals can vouch for us."

Gohan scowled at the relaxed Android. "You? Working with us? You'll have to forgive me if I don't trust that, 17!"

"You're forgiven. Let's just say this redneck and his pals moved up to the top of mine and 18's shit-list. Besides, we just finished taking out those other two. All that's left is Gero, _this_ bastard, and whatever is causing that noise." 17 turned to the thunderous blows of a battle between two unseen titans. They caught a glance of it when sneaking into position to ambush the other Androids ganging up on Nimu. Some sort of horrific monster battling what they could only presume as another Android that was even taller than 14. "After that, we'll see what happens."

Android 13's face went blank with a look of astonishment before he looked back to try and find his partners. He caught sight of a scattered pile of wreckage, and 15's head sitting by a smoking crater. "14...and 15 have been destroyed...?"

"That's right," 17 said with a smirk. "You're the last man in this rodeo now, cowboy."

Gohan glared daggers at 17's back. His greatest enemy, claiming to be on his side long enough to destroy 13 and the others. But what did he plan after? Could Gohan even trust him that long? 17 didn't even look at Gohan, and barely addressed his concerns. He was more than tempted to attack the sadistic murderer with his back turned, but he hesitated. The chaotic pair never did anything more than murder and destroy. It made no sense for them to play nice, even if Android 20's group had scorned them. They were definitely the last people that Gohan would have ever considered siding with.

But Android 3 changed, didn't she? Perhaps the Devil's Pair were aiming for the same treatment. There wasn't a chance in hell they could get it. So why did Gohan hesitate?

Android 13 started to laugh, confusing both of his opponents. At first it started as a soft chuckle, before it devolved into mad cackling.

"Alright, that's getting annoying," 17 muttered. "Yo, hick, did you go crazy or something?"

Android 13 threw his arms out, his hands reaching towards the sites of 14 and 15's deaths. "Boy...you don't know know it yet...but you just unchained the devil himself..."

* * *

Trunks attempted to flank Android 20, after the latter had knocked Nico back from a pitiful attempt at an assault. 20 predicted and countered the little demi-Saiyan's attack with the back of his hand, before driving his fist into the boy's face. Trunks' head rocked back from the blow, crying out in pain. 20 turned his attention to the only real threat; Nico.

"Your attempts to humor the child will cost you your life, Android 11," 20 stated coldly. "He's a hindrance, and you're holding back for his sake, for his fragile ego and his pride." Nico said nothing, and readied herself to continue the battle. "Pitiful. You cling to your human side, and it holds you back. Gero transformed you from a dying little girl into his vision. You're nothing more than a machine bred for war and destruction. Embrace it!"

Android 20 dashed towards Nico. She prepared herself for an attack that never came, thanks to the intervention of a familiar blonde woman. 18 came up with an upward palm strike that connected to the old Android's chin, and sent him flying into the air. Doctor Gero's copy flipped back to stop his race backwards, and stared down at the two women below.

"Going by the playbook is overrated," 18 said, her back turned to an alarmed Nico. Android 20's eyes widened upon seeing her however, with anger being the last thing on his face. "I promised 17 that I'd leave enough of you for him to beat on, but staring at that ugly face of yours is making it really hard for me to care..."

"W-wait, what the hell are you doing here 18?!"

She said nothing at first. She cast a look back over her shoulder before finally answering, "You saved me and my brother. Now it's time we return the favor. We took out the pair that was fighting Nimu already, and 17 is going to take down the country moron."

"14 and 15 have..." Android 20 scanned for their signals, but sure enough both Androids 14 and 15 were listed as destroyed. Even if they failed to destroy any of the rabble, their destruction was good news regardless. But even that news paled in comparison to the arrival of Androids 17 and 18. "I hope you've said your goodbyes to your brother, 18. Because if he's gone to face Android 13, then you've sealed his fate..."

18 rolled her eyes and cracked her neck to the side. "This makes us even, Nico," she said. "You can let me handle this."

The wrinkled old Android smiled at 18's bravado. "You think you can face me without your brother? How foolish. My body is far more advanced than anything else Gero ever created. After all, it was meant for _him._ "

"If you think 17 needs help to beat the country reject, or that I need help to beat _you_ , you clearly don't know what you're up against."

Android 20's smile spread wider over his twisted face. "Clearly you don't understand the powers that conspire against you..."

The two combatants stared each other down silently. One wore a look of silent fury, and the other a smile of amusement. 18 was determined to wipe that look off of 20's face. As she readied herself to charge, a small object flew between her and the old android.

Nico and 18 both looked over as more wreckage flew past them. Upon a closer look, they both realized that the wreckage were pieces of 14 and 15 that seemingly acted on their own. "What the hell?"

"This can't be good," Nico realized.

Across from both women, Android 20's eyes watched as 14 and 15's brain chips, and energy reactors flew towards their target. He almost wished he could witness 13's transformation with his own eyes. But 13 was inconsequential compared to Cell. "Soon, 18, you and your brother will achieve your destiny...the destiny Doctor Gero crafted for you, the destiny that I will see to fruition!"

Nico and 18 turned back to the old Android with a scowl of disgust shared between them. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I think if I stomp your dentures into pieces you'll shut up." Nico felt a slight shudder at 18's threat. She was glad to be on the blonde's good side.

* * *

Gohan and 17 watched in shock as various spare parts flew up and melded into 13's body. Both fighters were shocked and slightly repulsed as the data chips were absorbed into the sides of his head, and the two large reactors disappeared into his chest. The entire time, 13 just smiled at them with a chilling stare.

His smile vanished, and his body tensed. 13's muscles began to tighten, and his body started to expand. As his body started to transform, 13 began screaming while undergoing such a drastic physical change. His muscles swelled several times larger, busting the suspenders pulled over his shoulder, and ripping what shreds of his vest that remained to pieces. 13's skin started to become a deep blue color, and his hair began to stand on end, spiking upward as the white locks started to shift to orange.

"Wh-what the hell is this?"

Gohan had seen drastic transformations enough times to know that 13 was going to be a lot more difficult to take down. He didn't need to sense the Android's power to know that much."Well...nothing good."

Android 13's transformation was complete. He was now a gigantic mountain of blue muscles and furious anger. The blue brute growled savagely at both Gohan and 17. "So, hey, I know we're not exactly pals here Gohan, but any chance you wanna take the lead on this one?"

"You're picking now of all times to lose that fearless bravado?"

"What can I say? You and King Cool opened my eyes."

Gohan never imagined in his life he would be praying for a member of Frieza's family for help. But as Super 13 rushed forward, the through ran through his mind briefly, before a vicious knee crashed into his chin. Gohan was sent reeling, his vision bursting with stars as his head was nearly knocked clean off of his shoulders. The blue behemoth chuckled before he grabbed Gohan's arms and started to squeeze them against his ribs with crushing force, causing pain to burst through his body, before he was driven into the ground when Super 13 dove straight down. The impact shook Gohan's entire body, and shattered the remains of the city block as cracks snaked out and burst from the ground.

The hero's golden hair went back to black, his eyes empty as his head rolled back, completely unconscious. Super 13 gave a huff of resentment that the last Super Saiyan was beaten so easily. But there was still a bigger prize to be had.

He looked up and turned his head to Android 17. To the punk's credit, he stood ready to face the brute. But 17 was beneath the might of the Super Android. His scanners, a byproduct of absorbing 15's remains, picked up the battle of the titans not too far off. It was time for 13 to throw his hat into the ring.

Super 13 took off in the opposite direction, leaving both 17 and Gohan alone. The lone Android slouched his shoulders, feeling lucky to be alive again. He wasn't lying when he told Gohan that nearly being beaten by Cooler had been a bitter reminder of his own mortality. If it wasn't for Nimu, 17 would still be injured, and he and 18 would still be on the run, if not dead.

He looked down at Gohan and just shook his head, realizing how outclassed he was by Super 13. It had been years since 17 took Gohan down that easily, even longer since he had done it solo. "Well...shit." He dropped to the ground in front of Gohan, standing over the unconscious hero with a steely gaze. Killing him was about thirteen years overdue. But the hero had survived time and time again, with a stubborn refusal to die that no other living being that had ever crossed the Devil's Pair had. And with Super 13 running around, along with whatever the green monster bug was, 17 felt like having Gohan around would be more helpful than killing him. "Don't say I never did nothing for you," 17 sighed, kneeling down to pick Gohan off the ground.

* * *

Another punishing blow sent 16 crashing into the wall of a skyscraper, shaking the remains as the building was on its last legs. Cell raced forward, blitzing 16, driving his knee into the Android's midsection. The blow pushed both of them through the wall, and brought the entire towering ruin down around them. As the structure fell, a thunderous impact was heard from within the cloud of rubble and dust, as Cell was sent flying across the open clearing.

The bio-android quickly stopped himself, threw his head down, and started blasting at the dust cloud all over with piercing laser eyes. He fired at every available opening, hoping to hit the relentless machine that hid in cover, refusing to let him escape. Finally 16, or at least a small part of him, came flying out of the dust like a rocket, aimed straight for Cell's face.

"WHAT!?" Cell shrieked, as 16's Rocket Punch slammed into his head, right between the eyes. The blow struck home, throwing Cell's head back as he howled out in pain. The bio-android didn't even have time to fully recoil before 16 appeared above him, locking his right hand back onto his arm.

Android 16 quickly raised his arms up, clasping his hands together over his head, before bringing his fists down with the force of a wrecking ball onto Cell's head. The monstrous creature went down, tumbling through the air head over heels before smashing into the ground. 16 hovered in the air, watching and scanning carefully for any signs of movement from Cell. He knew the creature relied on tricks and cunning, as he tried to outwit 16 several times during their battle. Very few of his tactics had any effect, and none of them were enough to even slow 16 down.

Finally, Cell shot out of the ground and hovered across from 16. He made no move against his foe, and neither did 16. The two warriors glared at each other in silence, before Cell finally started to laugh. "My oh my. Doctor Gero certainly made you a formidable man of steel, didn't he?" 16 said nothing. He refused to allow himself to be baited by Cell. "Although the strong silent type is a bit cliché, don't you think?"

Before 16 could even consider a retort, a new force slammed into Cell with enough speed to carry them both halfway across the battlefield. 16 was genuinely surprised by what he saw, but quickly pursued.

Cell growled as he pushed against the new attacker; a big, angry blue bastard. Unfortunately for him, the attacker was stronger and faster than he appeared. The brute let out a primal roar as he unleashed a storm of punches and kicks that caused Cell to twist and bend under the assault, before one final blow across the jaw sent him flying on ahead. The blue brute snarled as he aimed his palm at Cell, unleashing an oppressive wave of red energy on him. Cell stopped himself, but was too late to defend against the energy blast as the searing wave washed over him, continuing to reach out for nearly a mile past him. Once the attack died down, the results left a smoking trench that cut through the landscape, leaving an ugly scar on the earth.

Super 13 simply grinned callously, delighted with his new power, and the destruction of Cell. Nothing would be able to stop him. His scanners still alerted him to someone foolish enough to approach, identifying the newcomer as a fellow Android. Undoubtedly 16.

"You want to go a few rounds too?" Super 13 questioned, his voice much more savage, and deeper sounding. He turned to face the stoic new challenger with a twisted smile. "I took out the little bastard you were having trouble with in only a few seconds. You think you have what it takes to beat me?"

"That attack was not enough to destroy Cell," 16 stated. Super 13 snarled, enraged at a lesser model questioning his power.

" _You know,"_ a familiar voice said. Super 13 gasped as he turned around, right as a punishing knee was driven into his jaw. The blow sent the new Super Android flying toward 16, who simply dodged to avert the impact. Super 13 finally stopped when he crashed into the ground, pushing through several meters worth of rock and concrete. Cell cracked his neck to one side, a vicious scowl on his face. "He wasn't wrong..."

Android 16 took the interlude to scan his new opponent. There were trace signatures of Androids 14 and 15, but the overbearing signature was that of Android 13 himself. He searched through Gero's database that Bulma had downloaded into his brain. It wasn't long before he found files on Android 13, the first and earliest attempt Gero made at fusing together his creations to create something stronger. In this case, Super 13 was the result.

The blue behemoth broke out of the ground, stopping across from both Cell and Android 16. "You can't beat me!" he roared in a monstrous voice. "I am Super 13! I am the strongest Android! I'll tear _both_ of you apart!"

A three-way battle. 16 didn't like the idea of it, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Though it seemed like Super 13 and Cell were more than content with tearing each other apart, 13's statement left out any hope that 16 wouldn't be involved. And in the end, both of them needed to be destroyed to save the Earth.

* * *

Dore groaned as he awoke, his head throbbing with a splitting headache. He sat up, clutching his head with one hand. He realized his helmet was removed, and once he saw the dent in the side he realized it was for a good reason. Likely the cause of his headache too. At his side lying next to him was Neiz, unconscious, but also alive.

"I hate this planet," the green skinned soldier muttered.

"Nobody invited you." Dore looked up, seeing Nimu standing over him, but with his eyes elsewhere. It took his groggy mind a moment to remember who the boy was. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alive," he grunted. He had survived worse, but this was definitely towards the top of the list. Dore shook his glove a little as two Senzu Beans fell into his lap. He placed one in his mouth and started chewing. As soon as he swallowed the contents, he felt every ache and pain magically disappear, and his lost energy suddenly surged back into him. "Well, I guess the planet is good for something." He put the second bean in Neiz's mouth, and fortunately his partner's mouth was big enough to swallow without chewing. It might take a bit longer without the bean being chewed, but once it hit his system, Neiz would be back on his feet.

Dore stood up, dusting himself off a bit before he stood next to Nimu. His hair was wild and untamed without his helmet to hold it down, with black, choppy locks rolling down past his shoulders. "The other Androids? You took care of them?"

"Not alone, but they are destroyed, for better or worse." He was about to question Nimu about what he meant, until the ground itself shook, followed by the booming echo of a deadly thunderclap. Dore looked over, seeing Android 16 fighting with a green skinned, bulked up monster, and a blue skinned, raging behemoth. "The blue one is Android 13. After the destruction of 14 and 15, 13 was able to absorb pieces of his brethren and incorporate them into his being to become that."

"A-and the green thing?" That one terrified Dore slightly more than Super 13, if only because it was undoubtedly the thing that Lord Cooler battled with the day before.

"I am...unclear on who or what it is. But I scanned it, and it has similarities to Androids in design, but has a sufficient amount of bio-mass to be considered a living creature. Based on the schematics of the Red Ribbon database, it also has vague similarities to that of Android 1." Dore shuddered at the memory of that sentient pile of metallic goo that gave Lord Cooler a run for his money. And now this new monster was more dangerous than even that.

"Anything _else_ happen while I was unconscious?"

Nimu said nothing, but turned his head to the side. Dore followed his gaze, and immediately tensed up at the sight of Android 17 carrying Gohan's unconscious body on his back. "Well...do I count?"

Dore prepared for another fight, even if he stood less of a chance against 17 than he did with the other two. "Androids 17 and 18 arrived and destroyed 14 and 15," Nimu explained. "I've been standing guard over you and Neiz during that time, so that you would not end up being a defenseless target." Dore didn't like the idea of being helpless _and_ a hindrance. Cooler would have just left them to die.

"Yeah, and we had no idea destroying his buddies would cause Trucker Hat up there to 'roid out on us," 17 admitted. "Kind of our fault on that one to be honest."

"So where are the other Androids?" Dore asked. "Where's the Saiyan brat?" An explosion, much closer than the battle between titans, thundered above their heads. The Androids and Dore turned their eyes skyward, seeing Nico, 18, and Trunks all pushing against Android 20. "Never mind..."

"So, not that we need Gohan to take out the Gero-clone up there, but you wouldn't happen to have another one of those beans, would you?" Dore was about to answer 17's question, but was cut off when Neiz awoke with a start.

The crimson skinned fighter panted with panic, calming down once he saw Dore awake and alive. Neiz looked at Nimu, remembering him much faster than Dore did. However, after the sounds of battle drew his attention to two remaining fights, Neiz took note of everything that had changed before Android 14 knocked him out.

Finally, Neiz looked to Dore, rubbing his brow to push down the stress and wrap his mind around what he just woke up to. "What did I miss...?"

* * *

 **TADA! I lied last time ; My muse took a prolonged vacation from this story in favor of Young Justice and restarting my playthrough of Fallout 4, on top of reworking several different scenes from how I originally had them set up. On the plus side, finally making progress with the plot again! Aaaaand I do apologize for the month+ wait for this chapter ; I tried not to rush it, and the parts that felt rushed I tried to fix in editing, so hopefully it's a good read and worth the wait.**

 **Next chapter will be easier for me to write, since I know what I want/need to do, and I'm 99.9% certain that I'm happy with how I've got it written out in my head. And with any luck, when Xenoverse 2 finally hits, my muse will skyrocket with Dragon Ball related inspiration! Oh, and next chapter I'm finally going to be bringing back a certain character(s?) that I've shelved for awhile in this story. Yup. At least one, maybe two, if he was fortunate enough to survive =D But who knows. Certainly not me, no sir.**

 **Also, sorta related/unrelated news, I've been following Dragon Ball Super again lately. I'm not, repeat I AM _NOT_ promising anything right now, but I'm toying around with a few ideas for a third story based on this series. I can't quite share what the sequel to this story will be, since it's kind of spoiler-related. But I'm stressing this now: I can't/won't/don't promise any sequels. Depending on how well this story does, and how much of a demand there is for a sequel towards/at the end, I would definitely write a second story. Third story is/was very...not well put together, but I'm tweaking a few new elements and developments from the Dragon Ball universe to hopefully get a better story going for it. Planning ahead for the future and all that jazz.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading this far, as always. Reviews feed my addiction to writing these stories out. On that note, OFF TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


	13. Chapter 13: Awakening

**Jeez, to think DBZ Abridged would get two episodes out between me posting chapters. Yeesh. Anyhow, enjoy!**

* * *

So much evil. So much unbalanced, caused by one human, and the artificial lives he spawned. In truth, Doctor Gero had singlehandedly caused as much damage as even King Piccolo during the wars he waged. The reborn Red Ribbon Army, the Devil's Pair, and now the most devastating evil to face the Earth, Cell. The threat of his existence alone was throwing Earth dangerously out of balance.

Mister Popo could sense the disturbance down below, giving him an ominous sense of dread. Cell was a creature so foul, so dark that even his presence, however imperfect, was a threat to the very balance of Earth itself.

How could a human hate as much as Doctor Gero did? To create something so twisted and evil all for the sake of hatred, did he truly spite the world that much? What would Kami say about such a man, if he were still alive?

Mister Popo shook his head. He didn't want to think about Kami. The former Guardian of the Earth was dead and gone, and the Earth has suffered for it, while Popo did nothing but stand and watch for thirteen years. What could he do? Perhaps, if Piccolo understood the threat that the Androids posed, if Kami knew how dangerous Cell would be, perhaps then both stubborn Namekians could have swallowed their pride and fused back into one being. Earth would still be without a Guardian, however temporary, but Piccolo would have undoubtedly possessed the power to stop Gero's madness in its tracks.

But the only remaining fighters left to defend the planet were Gohan and Trunks. And in only a few days they had rallied a formidable fighting force to defend the planet. It was unorthodox, that much was certain, but they were still Earth's best chance for survival. And truly, how were a band of misfits, outcasts, and brutal warriors united against a common enemy any different from the original Z Fighters that Goku once led?

The Lookout had a guest that arrived. The airship dropped down and landed gently, before the pilot jumped out and quickly came up to Popo. The caretaker smiled and turned around as Hercule approached.

"Y-you'v gotta..." Hercule took a few deep breaths to steady his frantic panting. "There has to be something up here that can help Gohan!"

Popo smiled at Hercule's selflessness. That he would come all the way back to the Lookout in the hope that they could still help Gohan. Such a noble deed was a good sign. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for Gohan, or the others, at this time," Popo stated. Hercule was worried, panicked even. He knew there was something wrong, otherwise half of the Resistance would have flown up to the Lookout too. "What makes you think that Gohan needs help so desperately?"

"What do you mean!? I...I uh..." Hercule looked dumbfounded as he considered the answer. Nobody else in the Resistance believed him when he told them Gohan and the others were in danger. They didn't want to believe him. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to assume the worst before it happens, but Hercule's gut told him that he had to do something. "I...I just...kinda guessed..."

Popo smiled. He was the one alright. "You could sense the threat, the danger that they were in, because that danger in turn threatens the very planet itself."

"Right! Which is why we need to do something for them _now_!"

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing you or I could do to help Gohan or the others right now." Hercule growled, reaching over to grab Popo by his vest. The sudden, aggressive action caused the caretaker to gasp in alarm.

"Listen here! We had our bets on this place! If Gohan and the others die when there was something we could have done—,"

"But there _is_ nothing we can do," Popo stated calmly. "Not for them...not right now, anyway."

Hercule relaxed his grip on Popo's vest, but couldn't help but to scowl. He wasn't angry with Popo. The former champion was tired of feeling helpless. He couldn't just sit and wait to die while Gohan risked his life. There had to be something he could do to help. Anything.

Popo saw the honest man's determination, and his pain. After so many years, Hercule still carried an undying will to help people, to save them.

"There is still something we can do for the Earth," Popo said. "Something for it...in the long run, so to speak." Hercule's eyes snapped back up to the Lookout's caretaker. "In fact, this responsibility that you are about to shoulder could be just as important as what Gohan and the others are fighting for down below..."

* * *

The fight had taken them above the clouds hanging at the peak of the mountains surrounding the city. Once Super 13 joined the battle, the crowded environment of the destroyed city wasn't enough to contain their battle. Android 16 flew through the clouds as a hail of explosive red energy bullets trailed behind him. Super 13 scowled in the clearing as he tried to shoot down the evasive 16, but all his blasts hit were the mountains even further off in the horizon. It wasn't like he had to worry about running out of power, being outfitted with Android 14 and 15's energy reactors. He produced and generated energy faster than any other Android that had ever existed. Even faster than Cell.

Super 13's sensors picked up the monster's energy signature approaching from behind. He stopped his attempt to blasting 16 out of the sky in order to drive his elbow back at Cell's nose. The bio-android cackled as he ducked under the strike, then dove forward, spearing into Super 13's hip. Cell dove straight down toward the closest mountain, pulling the hulking beast down with him. The two slammed into the mountain with enough force to bring the entire thing down. A glowing light emanated below the rubble, before an explosion sent all of it flying outward from the crater the blast had created.

Cell was pushed across from Super 13, arms crossed and smoldering from 13's mountain-leveling blast. The titanic brute rushed forward, crashing into Cell with his fist driving across the monster's jaw. Cell pulled himself back and cartwheeled across the ground as a frustrated 13 ran towards him. Cell turned on his feet and sprung backwards as the blue brute came in swinging. Despite the monstrous form of the Elegrants, their bulked up transformation did not sacrifice speed, so long as you knew how to throw the weight of your body around to aid in your movements. The moves were instinctive, thanks to the Elegrant Royal Guard Biwa's genetics.

Super 13 swung his leg at Cell's midsection, only for it to be blocked with Cell's knee. And he was the one who countered first. Cell shot his other leg out while still in the air, driving his foot into 13's face. Thanks to possessing the predatory, bird-like foot of the Ankokans, he sank his talons around the Super Android's face, and then slammed him down into the ground by his head. Cell wrapped his tail around Super 13's neck, tossing him up into the air with a spin. At the end of his spin, Cell drove another splitting kick into 13's midsection. The blue brute didn't go very far, his feet anchored into the bottom of the crater as he was pushed back to the center of the ring.

That was the moment to strike. Both of his fists were sent blasting down at them, just as they turned up to receive the jaw-crushing blows. 16's fists came bouncing back, drawn to his arms and locked properly into place. He turned towards Super 13, and charged at him in the blink of an eye, ramming his reinforced elbow straight into the larger Android's midsection. 13 doubled over from the strike, falling forward just as 16 shifted his weight to send the heavy-class brute over at Cell while he was still dazed. Android 16 forcefully hurled Super 13 with all his might, sending him flying at Cell like a wrecking ball. The two collided and were sent crashing at the other end of the crater.

Super 13 had quickly made himself the biggest threat to them. He had a chaotic need for destruction, and did not care who got in his way. He was single-minded, irrational, berserk, and didn't have a problem throwing his power around recklessly. But 16 had no doubt that Cell was capable of the same destructive power as Frieza and his father, but chose not to use it to savor the fight, like his dominate Saiyan genes would demand. Cell had used a wide variety of techniques, but none of them were as dangerous as some of that have been shown in use on Earth. And there wasn't a doubt in 16's mind that Gero would have added the more powerful and dangerous techniques in Cell's arsenal. But as long as Cell wasn't driven to the point where he would throw away his twisted sense of pride in order to secure his victory, Super 13 still remained the primary threat.

Part of 16 was glad he couldn't generate planet-busting attacks, instead relying on his wits and tactics in the fight. If it were just Cell fighting Super 13, there was no telling how freely Cell would throw around the same level of attacks as the Super Android. Cell wanted to best his opponents at their own game, and as long as 16 was fighting smarter, Cell wouldn't allow the challenge to go unanswered. As long as 16 continued to remain a threat to both Cell and Super 13.

It was a difficult fight to juggle, one that did not bode well in 16's favor. But he was the only one who could stand against either of these foes.

Super 13 rushed out and tried to down 16 with a swinging clothesline. The armored Android raised both of his arms up to block the attack, staying rooted to the ground despite Super 13's force. 16's refusal to budge brought a scowl to the Super Android's face. Cell came rushing through, swinging his leg out just under 13's arm, slamming his foot into 16's midsection. His attack finally sent 16 flying back against the opposite wall of he crater. Cell stood back while Super 13 rushed forward, slamming into 16 with enough force to knock them out of the crater.

Cell took a moment to reevaluate his strategy, more than content to let the two metal-heads bash each others circuits out. He knew how and why 16 was such a pain, Android 20 made sure to share their foes weaknesses, and strengths. With 16, he was programmed to analyze and overcome any fighting style, something that was supposed to be used to fight against warriors like Goku. And since 16 was designed in the imagine of Gero's son, the doctor had the good nature to make sure his reborn 'son' was strong enough to battle against any opponent. No matter what tactics he threw at 16, he could analyze and calculate the best counter to any attack, any fighting style. And it was just so unfortunate that 16's power matched Cell's own. It was a pain, especially considering how Super 13 just powered through anything else.

He would have to adjust his strategy to take out both Super 13 and Android 16. They wouldn't be be able to stand against him for long. He was Cell, and he could overcome anything. Especially two inferior creations made by Doctor Gero.

* * *

Gohan awoke slowly, his head numb after being healed from whatever the hell knocked him unconscious in the first place. He wasn't exactly sure if he was seeing things, still concussed, or if he really was staring at Android 17 standing over him with a smile. Even more surprising for Gohan was that Dore and Neiz were standing behind Nimu, and nobody was dead yet, himself included.

"This is a special kind of hell I've woken up in, isn't it?"

"This isn't even the worst of it," 17 said with a care-free smile. Turns out cold sadism wasn't the only thing that made 17 an insufferable pain in the ass. All it took was a smile from your worst enemy and a massive headache. "Your little shrimp is still getting a beating from that Gero Android."

"Then why are _all_ of you sitting around here with me?!"

"Well, I just wanted to take this opportunity to make it crystal clear that me and 18 are on your side in this fight. We promise not to shoot you in the back if you promise to let us talk after this is all done."

Gohan just stared, completely taken back by the request. He was expected to trust the killers he had spent half a lifetime trying to fight against? It had to have been hell he woke up in. But he couldn't afford another fight, especially not with Trunks pushing on his own.

"You stick to your side of things, and you'll get the chance to talk," Gohan finally agreed. "You won't get a second chance though if you try anything."

"If I wanted to 'try anything,' I would have done it before I let you wake you up," 17 replied. "Look, realistically, it shouldn't take all of us to take down the geezer up there. If you want, you guys can go ahead and take this little party over to the big guys across the way. We'll meet you there shortly."

Gohan stayed back as he watched 17 take off towards the fight his sister was in. At least a part of him wanted to say that 17 was right, they shouldn't need everyone to take down Android 20. But after how Super 13 took Gohan out with a single move, he didn't want to take anymore chances with the next generation of Android.

* * *

"HAH!" Android 20 reached out for 18, who managed to pull away from the crazed old fart at the last minute. In her sister's place, 17 came up with a rising knee strike that lifted 20 higher in the air. 17 grabbed the doctor's ankle, and yanked him down hard, spinning around and around before letting 20 go to crash straight into the ground.

17 shook his head as his sister joined his side. "Jeez, even as one of us he's useless."

"And I still managed to save some of him for you," 18 added, making sure her brother wouldn't forget the kindness she granted him.

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Let's take this chump out together already." 18 joined her brother as he took the charge against Android 20.

The last of the Androids pulled himself out of the ground, only to be knocked back deeper under the surface from a joint attack from the Devil's Pair. 20 was pushed down deeper, tearing through the underground as he moved down what remained of an old road in town. The ground exploded a safe distance away from 17 and 18, who stood and waited as the manic Android with the face of their creator came into view.

They certainly could handle themselves. Gohan's life was filled with failures to stop the Devil's Pair, though not through lack of trying. Android 20 wouldn't stand a chance on his own. There was still the grim question of 17 and 18's fate once all was said and done, but there were bigger threats to attend to.

"Nimu, get Nico and Trunks and join us over at the other fight," Gohan said. Nimu nodded and left without a word. Dore and Neiz both looked a bit unnerved, but were still ready to face whatever may come. "We're going to evaluate the situation first, not go rushing in." That seemed to relieve the pair a bit. Gohan knew firsthand how dangerous each of the three powerhouses were. The last thing they could do was go charging in blindly.

The three Androids were at a stand off, quietly exchanging heated glares across the empty, shattered road. Trunks could almost sense the tension between them, despite not being able to sense anything from them at all. He still never got use to it, how they could be 'alive' but still so empty. So dead.

"Nimu?" Trunks turned to Nico's voice. Sure enough, another Android that he couldn't detect. Nico he almost felt sorry for. She was a human once, but now she was just a twisted, artificial machine with no trace of humanity left. Nimu and 16 were nothing more than just machines through and through. "Come on, we can finish 20 and then—,"

"Gohan wants us to join him now," Nimu said, cutting Nico off. She was startled, casting a worried glance back at the Devil's Pair. Trunks glared furiously at Nico while her head was turned. Nothing with a heart would show an ounce of concern over a pair of cold-hearted murderers. "Nico, they can handle themselves."

"Gohan is the one trying to save the planet, remember?" Trunks' words cut through to Nico. She looked over at the boy's heated glare, fixed directly at her. "Isn't that what you want? Because that's not at all what _they_ want."

"They are fighting on our behalf for now," Nimu countered with his half-smug analyst's tone. "We should not presume to know what they want."

Trunks rolled his eyes and took off without another word to the Androids. There was nothing in the universe that could make him forgive the Androids. The three his mother activated were proving to be allies, but for how long? How could any machine created by such a hateful psychopath be anything but evil?

Nico couldn't get the demi-Saiyan's words out of her head. _'Gohan is the one trying to save the planet, remember? Isn't that what you want? Because that's not at all what_ they _want.'_ So what did they want? She thought she saw it for a moment. A glimpse into what the rebellious siblings had to gain out of fighting on the side of the angels. They had their one, and only shot at revenge.

"Nimu...?"

"Yes, Nico?"

Her pale blue eyes stared down at the Devil's Pair. "They decided not to run..."

"Technically, they decided to come back after running." Nico smiled, shooting a playful glare across at Nimu being as straight-faced and stoic as ever. "But I know what you mean. Their actions, they were...noble."

Nico's eyes moved to the stubborn and bitter 18. She knew 17 was probably the one who talked her into returning, but she still chose to came back, to fight for them. Nico was going to make sure to fight for 17 and 18 too.

* * *

Android 20 watched as the last of the 'heroes' left him alone with Androids 17 and 18. "Facing me all by yourselves? My, you must be foolish."

"Considering how I was knocking your wrinkled old ass around earlier by myself, I wouldn't be talking too much crap now that my brother is here. Because trust me, we both can't wait to break that ugly old face of yours."

"What do you hope to gain out of this? Siding with these powerless weaklings, these defective rejects, and for what? Do you wish to be 'heroes' like them now?" He shook his head with a condescending smile on his lips. "You foolish children. There are no _heroes_ left to save this miserable planet!"

"Well duh, we were the ones who killed them after all," 17 said, flashing an arrogant smile in acknowledgment of his cruel, and very true, statement. "Right now, the only reason we're on their side is because you and your new circus show are a hell of a lot more fun to hit. So do me a solid and keep running your mouth. It's gonna make knocking your teeth out a lot more fun for me."

The three fighters wasted no more words. Android 20 was getting sick of being talked down to, and the Devil's Pair were long overdue for killing their creator. Or at least bashing the same face in.

Androids 17 and 20 dashed towards each other, meeting in the middle where their forearms collided. Seconds later, the two combatants took off into the air, pressing against each other in a storm of lightning fast strikes. Each punch and kick was deflected and retaliation was just as swift, though neither 17 nor 20 could land a hit on the other. Their skirmish finally reached a peak when they were knocked back, leaving a gap between them. Android 20 remained calm, composed as he analyzed 17 like a hawk. To his frustration, 17 wore an ever arrogant smile on his face. His reason for being smug was revealed when 18 crashed down on Android 20 from above with a double-legged drop kick.

She pushed off the old man once he was carried far enough away from 17, and pulled herself around to strike at 20 with a spin kick to the head. He blocked 18's strike by lazily stopping it with his forearm, then reached out for her pretty blonde head. 18 pulled herself to the side, dodging Android 20's hungry energy-sucker, and stopped him with a quick, sharp knee to the gut that nearly split him in half. 20 doubled over with a choked cry before 18 sent him racing to the ground with a sharp elbow to the back of his head.

Android 20 spun around, recovering swiftly as he bounced off the ground with a nimble spin before landing on his feet. He crouched down, pulled his arm back, charging up a counterattack. With a fierce glare cast skyward, Android 20 stood up and blasted a large Photon Wave up at 18. She gave her response with a counterattack, firing her own energy wave. The two pink beams of raw power crashed into each other, unleashing a destructive shockwave from their point of impact. The two Androids continued to raise their powers, pushing against the other opponent, with neither gaining an edge over the other. The beam struggle was short lived when 17 joined his sister's side, adding to to power and force of 18's energy wave. The added energy trailed down and crashed into 20's weaker beam with full force, and continued moving down. Android 20 growled and pushed back defiantly, slowing the combined attack considerably.

Both Lapis and Lazuli stared down with contempt on their faces. The novelty of beating on a Gero look-alike had worn off. Now they were just bored and spiteful. It wasn't as satisfying as it would have been to inflict such tortures upon the real Gero himself, and they both had better things to do with their time. They didn't care anymore.

With one final push, the Devil's Pair sent one last surge of power through their fused beam, which pushed down harder on Android 20. To his credit, the old bag of bolts remained defiant to the end instead of just accepting his fate.

"You two...will have...your reckoning...!"

Android 20 stared up at his approaching demise and laughed. He laughed while he could, for he knew the true, cruel fate that waited for the Devil's Pair. They were merely pawns, fractions of the true Devil that awaited. Stepping stones to the fruition of Android 20's dreams of creating the perfect life form.

The combined energy wave finally came crashing down, unleashing a brilliant lightshow in the wake of the resulting explosion. A dominant glow cast itself over the empty city. The chaotic siblings watched as the light died out, and the smoke and dust settled, leaving only an smoldering crater filled with rubble behind. They felt robbed out of feeling any satisfaction from their so-called 'vengeance.' The real Gero was dead long ago. His carbon copy wasn't the same. Gero was the one who turned the siblings into what they were, into a pair of devils.

"Satisfied?"

17 shook his head with a look of disdain. "Not even close."

"Shit."

They were more than disappointed. They were disheartened. Both 17 and 18 could feel it. They were getting close to the end of the road. Even in vengeance they were denied any sense of satisfaction. Perhaps it was karma coming back to get them right before the curtain call. With all the death they caused, it would be too easy to just get off free, or hope for a painless death, or to at least get vengeance before the end. But they knew they couldn't pout forever. There was another pair of monsters that needed to be dealt with first. Then they could face their fate.

* * *

"I'm...the what now?"

"As I said before: you, Hercule, are the new Guardian of Earth."

The middle-aged man stared blankly at Popo's equally blank expression. Neither of them blinked.

"I...don't understand. I'm not some sort of mystical all-seeing...god!"

"While Kami was a powerful fighter and warrior before becoming the Guardian, a significant portion of his strength came from his connection as Guardian." Mister Popo cleared his throat, finally taking pity on Hercule's clueless expression. "Once initiated, a Guardian will be forever bound to the Earth, and its natural energy. If the Guardian has a pure heart, the planet and its populace will reflect that. Nature will be in bloom, harvests would yield more growth, animals and humans would be kinder, more peaceful. You see, there is a natural order. Long before Goku and the others, there were no heroes to keep things in order. It was up to the Guardian alone to keep balance in the world, as their spirit reflected the spirit of the planet, and vice-versa. For example, if a Guardian is feeling doubt, or harboring resentful, angry thoughts, the planet would experience more natural disasters. Crime and violence would undoubtedly rise in any major cities as well. If the Guardian is noble, at peace, the planet will be balanced."

Hercule slowly began to understand. The same way Popo was the caretaker for the Lookout, the Guardian was the caretaker for the entire planet. The thought of taking on such a heavy burden did not make the responsibility seem any more appealing. How was he, a washed up 'champion' supposed to balance the planet with another bogus title? He couldn't control or use energy like Gohan or Trunks could.

"I think—th-there's gotta be a mistake."

"There is no mistake. You were the one who found the Lookout after Kami passed away. You may not realize it yet, but you resonate with the people of the Earth, and the planet itself. As Guardian, you could channel that power."

"But..."

 _What if I screw up?_

There are kids risking their lives against who knows what kind of monstrosities, but he was too scared to finally do his part to save the planet? _No,_ he told himself. It was time for the Champ to save the day.

"Alright...tell me what to do."

Mister Popo smiled, elated to hear Hercule's resolve. He held his hands out, open to the air as he conjured Kami's staff into his hands. The Guardian's sacred tool, carved from the first tree born on Earth. A divine rod that has helped Guardians connect with the Earth since the very beginning of the planet's creation.

"Take this."

Without hesitation, or that much consideration, Hercule grabbed the walking stick firmly in his hand. As soon as his grip was around it, Hercule's entire body locked up as a sudden rush of power erupted through him. The power flooded through his veins, his muscles, even his receding hairline. The former Champion felt like his head would explode from the sudden surge. But his body continued to harness the strange power, until the rush finally stopped.

Hercule nearly collapsed, had he not saved himself with the staff. He clung to the sacred artifact to help himself stand. His whole body was numb and heavy, but the newfound power in him was roaring tirelessly. "Wh...what the...what was that...?"

"That relic is a tool crafted from a branch from the first tree on the planet. It helps tune a Guardian's senses and energy to the planet, tying the two together. What you're feeling now is the power of the planet you've tapped into. You must not fight it, but calm your mind, and focus on it, channel it, and your senses."

"Right...I'll try..."

Hercule closed his eyes to focus on the power that filled his body. It felt odd. It felt like it definitely did not belong in his body. _Maybe Popo made a mistake?_ But it invigorated him. He felt happiness, but it was not his own. It was from the energy—or rather its source.

" _Once initiated, a Guardian will be forever bound to the Earth, and its natural energy."_

Was that what it was? The Earth was...happy?

"I...I think I've got something."

Popo smiled. "Excellent. Tell me what you sense."

Hercule concentrated, on the power inside of him, feeling through it before he found something. Like a string leading to the source, Hercule followed the trail with his senses. The staff gave a gentle hum of vibration in Hercule's grasp, enhancing his capabilities, and focusing the power of the Earth itself through him. And that was where the trail led.

"I...can feel...the Earth!" A door had been opened, and Hercule's sensory range increased drastically. He could feel the planet's energy for miles around beneath the Lookout. "Th-this is incredible!"

"With practice and training, you will improve," Popo said. "But this is incredible news. Your talent as a Guardian is better than I could have hoped for!" Hercule smiled. His increased ability to sense allowed him to better feel the connection between him and the Earth. The planet finally had a Guardian again. That was why it was happy. "This is merely the first step. We have much to do..."

* * *

The ground shook under the shockwave of the two opposing forces known as Cell and Android 16 slammed into one another. The two pressed their shoulders against the other, eyes filled with fierce determination to overpower the other. Cell was too proud to allow himself to be beaten in single combat, and would fight like a warrior to prove his superiority. But 16 was designed to take down the most skilled fighter in the universe, someone Cell himself took directly after in his warrior's way, and quite literally in genetics.

Cell quickly pulled back, causing 16 to shift forward and lose his balance momentarily. The malefic creature cackled and seized the opportunity to strike 16 with a punch that pushed the Android back. 16 Cell dove forward, with a bone-claw stuck out, ready to run 16 through and end him once and for all.

Cell shouted at 16 as he drove the blade for his chest. 16 pulled left and avoided Cell's attack, and quickly locked his grip on the bio-android's wrist. He pulled Cell up, and immediately drove his fist full force into the green monster's stomach, and then fired his Rocket Punch upon impact. 16's fist pushed deeply into Cell's gut, folding the beast over and pushing him skyward off of the ground. 16 quickly gave pursuit, reaching out to grab his fist after the rocket burst had burned out, causing Cell to just coast through the air.

But he never reached it in time.

Super 13 appeared behind Cell, who was still dazed from 16 punching a hole in his stomach, and drove his knee into Cell's back. The Super Android pushed all of his weight behind the attack, causing Cell to crash into 16, and all three of them slammed into the ground with an explosive collision. Both 16 and Cell were pinned under the blue behemoth, who laughed at them both before he started slamming his oversized fists into them one at a time.

16 quickly raised his half-arm up to Super 13's face. The sudden golden glow of energy gathered in the now apparent barrel in 16's arm caused the Super Android to give pause. With one last surge of power, the golden energy ball doubled in size, and turned 13's brief pause into a sudden panic.

"Hell's Flash!"

The energy wave was launched with a deafening boom, and explosive force that shook the ground beneath 16's back. The entire brunt of the overwhelming beam washed over Super 13, drowning out his panicked cries in seconds, tearing through the sky higher than any building that once stood in their battlefield. The attack died down a few moments after 13 no longer registered on 16's scanners. It took a moment for 16's attack to die down, which gave him time to quickly roll off of his back and quickly move to retrieve his lost fist on the other side of the crater.

Just as his hand was within reach, he was robbed once again when someone grabbed his leg and pulled him back. 16 fell on his chest, and turned around as Cell took the opportunity to cripple him while he was down. The bio-android fired a pair of slit eye lasers that pierced through his lower back and out of his stomach, electing a cry of pain from 16. The beams even left a smoking hole in the ground beneath the now damaged Android.

"Not that I haven't had my fun with this 16, but our game is over." Cell slammed his foot down between 16's shoulders, pinning him down in the dirt. 16 tried to push back, but Cell took away his leverage by grabbing his bicep and his forearm, and pulled back on them both. 16's shoulders twisted painfully, causing him to groan under the pressure. "Don't worry. This will be a painless death..." Cell's tail curled over his shoulder and wrapped tightly around the gallant Android's neck. "Because my next shot will be through your head."

"You...forgot one thing..." 16's lower half twisted around completely, hips lifting upward to hook one of his legs around Cell's hip, and the other up from between his legs. His foot came up high enough to slam his heel into Cell's already injured gut. 16 moved his leg around Cell's hip, and used the opportunity to pull the stunned monstrosity off of his back. Cell flew off of 16, but his tail stayed coiled long enough to yank the Android to his feet before it wriggled off.

Cell quickly recovered, nimbly flipping over onto his hand, and then onto his feet before jumping back to clear the distance between them. Android 16's upper half turned around on his hips, twisting straight until his body was realigned properly. "I am an Android."

Cell scowled in annoyance, "So you a—," The bio-android was cut off when the berserk Super 13 came crashing down on him in full force, pummeling the pinned creature under a storm over destructive fists all aimed and landing on Cell's head.

16 watched in shock at the sight of the Super 13's damaged and furious form unleashing a world of crushing pain on Cell's skull. After several dozen hits, 16 started to see blood on 13's knuckles. It wasn't long before Super 13's berserk gaze caught sight of 16. His face twisted to an even more hateful, furious, tooth-baring scowl. Super 13 didn't forget who had blasted him in the first place. And 16 knew that he could not stop him.

Super 13 charged forward at blinding speeds, blitzing 16 head-on, driving his knee into the lesser Android's already damaged stomach. The attack nearly split 16 in half, and left him open as Super 13 grabbed the back of his armored battle suit to hold him up, and his other hand aimed at his face. Super 13 fired a wide-spread, blood red ki blast that washed over 16, and sent him sailing through the sky, far out of the crater. The damaged Android moved up through the air, out of the berserk brute's site. Then he heard his second target begin to stir. The blue behemoth turned around as Cell rose up to his feet, the damage and wounds to his face and head beginning to heal.

"I've been waiting for a good excuse to destroy you..." The two opponents dashed toward one another, shouting as they collided in the middle.

Before 16 could hit the ground, he was caught in the air by Gohan, Dore, and Nimu. Once they had him in hand, they quickly raced away from the explosive battle between Super 13 and Cell.

"It is worse than I feared," 16 said.

"That's why we need a plan, and fast." The three heavy lifters carried 16 out of sight and to the safety of a small trench caused from the former Red Ribbon Army's first pass through the city. The rest of Earth's defenders were hiding in the same trench when 16 arrived. Parts and panels of Nimu's left arm opened up, releasing small coils from his body that wriggled like angry, metallic snakes. The shorter Android knelt down next to his comrade as the coils slid into 16's body, performing subtle, unseen repairs. "Alright gang, Cell and Android 13 just took out our heavy hitter. Any ideas?"

Nobody said a word. It was about as hopeful an outcome as anyone could expect. "Actually," Nimu spoke. He didn't even look up at the others, eyes focused solely on fixing 16's injuries. "But it will have to wait until 16 is repaired. After that, I need Neiz to attack me."

"Say what?" Neiz asked, vocalizing everyone's general confusion.

"Your technique, that electrical attack? It has quite an effect on the design of Doctor Gero's creations. Cell is one such creation. I believe that it could be used against Cell."

The crimson reptile paled a bit. "W-wait, you want me to—,"

"Hit me with that attack, yes." Neiz breathed a sigh of relief. Gohan couldn't blame him for not wanting to face Cell himself. "My systems will be able to analyze the attack, and I believe I should be able to use an enhanced version of it against Cell. That will help us destroy him."

"Cell is not the biggest threat," 16 stated. "Super 13 is stronger than him."

"But Cell has the ability to become stronger," Nimu countered, his eyes finally moving to meet 16's questioning stare. "He can absorb more organic material to get stronger. Theoretically, Cell's power could be limitless. If we focus all of our efforts on Super 13, and Cell sees how much of a threat we are, he will run, feed again, and return again. 13 will not run from us. Kill the flight risk, then we deal with the behemoth."

"I'm presuming you want everyone 'organic' to stay away from Cell then?" Gohan guessed. Nimu nodded his head. He knew as well as Gohan that they were the lightest bunch in the group compared to their Android buddies. "So, all we've got to do is keep Super 13 busy."

"While he keeps Cell on the ropes," Neiz pointed out with a sense of dread in his tone.

"I didn't say it was going to be easy. Nimu, you're positive this will work on Cell?"

"I'll have no way of knowing for sure until I've made physical contact with Cell. Unlike you or I, Cell is neither an Android, nor is he fully organic. Given how quickly an Android can recover from Neiz's attack, I calculate the chances of effectiveness against Cell at thirty-four percent as the technique is now. But if I can decipher Cell's bio-structure, I can adjust Neiz's attack for maximum effectiveness against him."

Gohan gave a half-smirk as 16's repairs were finished in timing with Nimu's explanation. "I thought I'd hate to admit this a lot more, but I'm glad to have you guys around." When Gohan looked over at Trunks, he was delightfully surprised to see that his ward wasn't glaring at him for a pro-android remark. Maybe there was hope for their group after all.

"That being said, sending you, Trunks, Dore, and Neiz against Super 13 alone would be suicidal, and doomed to failure." Gohan felt himself knocked down a few pegs by Nimu's blunt honesty. He was right, of course, but being told as much directly was disheartening. "However..." Nimu turned back toward the city, where both 17 and 18 approached from. "They should be more than adequate to help you survive."

"Trusting the Devil's Pair _with_ my life...what if we promise to be really careful when fighting Cell?"

"No. I know this is...uncomfortable, but it's the best chance we have. 16 has the raw power necessary to destroy Cell, so long as he has an opportunity to do so. Nico, 16, and I work best as a team, as 17 and 18 work even better with each other. Breaking up our strongest units would—,"

"Alright, I get it, leave the thinking to you," Gohan said, cutting the young looking Android off. There was only so much lecturing he could take from someone who only looked a few years older than Trunks. Maybe, Gohan thought, he could get back to his studies once they saved the world. If he lived that long. He had more than enough fighting for one lifetime.

* * *

Explosions rang out around him, as one blast after another tore through the sky above, casting a blood red glow over the mountains. Cell continued to dart and cut through the sky while Super 13 unleashed an endless barrage of energy bombs to try and blow the monster out of the sky. Cell's reflexes and speed were more than enough to keep him one step ahead of Super 13, while the berserk brute continued to mindlessly attack.

Cell knew attacking his foe head on was foolish. He could duke it out with Super 13 without a problem, but the Super Android was durable enough to take any blow Cell threw at him, and being an Android, 13 never tired. To take his foe down, Cell needed to strategize. The problem was getting an opportunity to charge an attack that could do some damage. Cell started to wonder if he had taken 16 out of the game too early.

The bio-android's thoughts were interrupted when Super 13 appeared in the way of his flight path. Before Cell could finish reeling from shock, 13 sent him earth-bound with a skull shattering double axe handle. Cell went tumbling down out of the air, but before he could catch himself, another force came crashing into his side, carrying him away from his battle.

Super 13's face twisted in confusion as he watched the three newest Android pushing Cell further and further away. He didn't know their reasons, and he didn't care—they were all added to his list.

Before the berserk behemoth could pursue, a beach ball sized energy bomb struck him in the back, detonating with enough force to scorch the Super Android's backside, as well as stumble him off balance. 13 turned, his empty, savage eyes looking at the source of his new attacker. _Attackers_ , as it turned out.

Gohan, his Burning Super Saiyan form ablaze, with either of the Devil's Pair flanking him, along with the two aliens, and the younger demi-Saiyan at his side, faced off against Super 13. The gigantic Android seemed to be more annoyed than anything by the interference. They could still be dealt with easily enough.

As soon as the Super Android lunged, the ants scattered, leaving the hulking brute hovering in empty space, and open to a small barrage of energy blasts from all sides, from all attackers. The multi-sided bombardment staggered Super 13 completely. The heroes managed to daze the hulking behemoth, albeit momentarily. Once he had regained his senses, Super 13 let out a furious roar at the top of his lungs, a cry which traveled and echoed across the sky.

Gohan pulled back with Dore, Trunks with Neiz, and 17 and 18 together. There was no breaking them apart, not that anyone else would WANT to be partnered with one of the Androids. "Everyone scatter!"

The teams of two followed Gohan's orders, and quickly fled in opposite directions, a tactic that confused their screaming opponent. 13 looked at each fleeing pair of warriors. They were trying to run? Super 13 scowled, figuring a warrior of Gohan's caliber to be better than to resort to hit-and-run tactics. But Gohan wasn't a threat—not anymore. Super 13 turned his gaze to the only real threat present: the Devil's Pair. With a malicious grin, he rushed after the siblings with haste.

* * *

Once they were finally back in the city, 16 delivered a punishing blow that sent Cell rocketing forward, crashing through the long abandoned streets. While Cell's body tore through the road, Nico dropped down to the ground and pulled back for to charge her attack.

Cell finally stopped his trip through dirt, and quickly shot his gaze up to the newly repaired 16. "Impossible!" Despite crippling him, 16 was back up and in fighting shape within minutes. It wasn't possible.

"Dark Rebellion Trigger!" Cell lowered his eyes down, spotting the short, albino android, with a swirling orb of pink energy in its center, surrounded by a darker red color, and the outside of the orb itself was covered with a darker, almost black shade of red. Although Cell couldn't sense Nico's attack, he could tell just at a glance that it was something he didn't want to be on the other side of.

Nico hurled her attack forward like a pitcher in a baseball game, only a few extra hundred miles an hour faster. Cell barley even managed to raise his hands up to catch the attack, an act which ended up pushing the bio-android back several feet before he stopped. The attack was impossibly powerful for someone with Nico's power output. She wasn't even as strong as either 17 nor 18, so how was it she could throw an attack that Cell would have trouble with? That was when he noticed it. The attack was growing progressively darker, as if the outer layer of power was corrupting, swallowing up the rest of the attack. There was no way for him to know what would happen, but Cell did not want to find out what happened when the entire thing was blacked out.

Once the last of the pink, dying light was consumed by the crimson energy, it wasn't long before the entire orb was pitch black. The instant it was, an incredible shockwave was released from the orb, sending up shattered pieces of earth and walls of dirt up around it. Cell endured the shockwave, momentarily, before the orb finally detonated itself a fraction of a second after the shockwave. Cell's furious screams were drowned out in the wave of searing energy that swallowed him whole.

Across from the explosion, Nico watched her ultimate technique go off, eyes unblinking, refusing to miss a moment. Above Nico, 16 hovered and waited, watching with the same feeling of anticipation that she felt.

As the blast died down, and the dust began to settle, Cell came barreling out, screaming bloody murder as he charged for Nico. The pale Android didn't flinch as the first Rocket Punch came crashing down on Cell from above, stopping his charge in its tracks. The second fist staggered Cell, causing him to stumble back before 16 came down. The towering Android delivered a spin-kick to the side of Cell's cranium, nearly knocking the monster's head from his shoulders. 16 pulled on his arms, drawing them back with the hyper-magnetic device Gero created. His arms locked back into place as Cell glared at him.

The two warriors grappled, but neither held the sheer advantage of strength and power, a fact which angered only Cell. But the creature was as crafty as he was dangerous. 16 noticed Cell's tail wriggling behind him, the stinger pointed straight for 16's chest. Cell made no effort to hide his attack, and started laughing in his foe's face once he realized.

Cell thrust his tail forward, but the limb went nowhere. He looked back under his arm, seeing Nico hold his tail in place. "Y-you?!" The albino sported a smile to mock Cell as she pulled back on his tail, making sure he couldn't use it as a weapon of any sort. Cell was not happy.

His anger boiled over, shouting out at the top of his lungs as his golden aura exploded around him. The force of his power-up threatened to throw Nico, and even push 16 back, but they both remained planted where they were.

Nimu's plan thankfully worked, as he shot forward through Cell's aura, slamming into the monster's stomach with a blitzing shoulder-charge. Nimu had more than enough speed to bowl through Cell, causing them both to crash into a pile of rusted, overturned vehicles. While the monster was pinned, Nimu quickly placed his left, ungloved hand against Cell's chest. The senors in his hands analyzed and scanned Cell's genetic and physical makeup, gaining a full understanding of the monstrous creation that only Doctor Gero himself was privy to. Nimu's mind processed the information at lightspeed, finishing his analysis of Cell within a second. Once he had all the information he needed, Nimu was more horrified by Cell than he was before.

The shock of his discovery left Nimu distracted, leaving him wide open for Cell to seize him by the throat. The sinister being stood up, raising Nimu with him at eye-level. "You know the funny thing about being a walking, talking petri dish of the galaxy's strongest fighters is?" Cell's grip tightened around Nimu's thin neck. The Android, while he didn't need to breathe, still felt like the pressure would pop his head right off. "I can feel when someone takes a sample..."

Cell grabbed Nimu's left arm with his free hand, and then effortlessly tore it off, ripping out several more wires and pieces that were physically linked to the wiring in his arm. Nearly a fourth of Nimu's whole internal structure was ripped out or damaged.

Nico rushed in without a second thought, forcing 16 to race in behind her. "NIMU!"

Cell crushed the stunned Android's arm, and tossed the limb away like it was garbage. "I'm not sure what you hoped to accomplish with that, but I'm done underestimating your little tricks."

Nimu's lifeless eyes weakly flickered back down to Cell, sharpened like pointed daggers at the bio-android. "Too...late for that..."

Cell, for a split-second, processed the response, before Nimu fired his newest attack from the hip. A light blue, electrical pulse fired from the Android's palm and hit Cell dead on. The attack spread through Cell's body like a forest fire. The pain exploded throughout the monster's body, paralyzing him completely as long as the charge lasted.

"AHHH!" Cell howled as the aura covered his entire body, attacking every last fiber of his artificial body. Nimu was released from his captor's grip, letting him fall into Nico's arms as she raced past the screaming monster.

Cell was left completely open and defenseless, a fact which his panic stricken face seemed to show he fully understood. The fear was replaced with a look of surprised horror as 16's energy-cannons appeared right in front of his face.

"Hell's Flash!" 16 unleashed the full force of his finishing technique into Cell, washing the green plague away in a wave of energy that swallowed him whole. The energy pushed everything down, down, deep into the ground, until it couldn't be pushed down any further. The backed up energy started to blast back up, cutting through the ground across the ruined city in shining towers of golden light. More and more started to sprout out from the ground, until finally there were no more ruins left in the once bustling city. Now there was only rubble, and a cloud of dust that settled over it.

Nico and Nimu floated above the field of dust and rubble, watching as 16 slowly drifted up to join them. "Is he...?"

"He does not read on my scanners," 16 said, answering Nico's worry. "Nimu?"

"Negative. Cell has been destroyed." There was an alternative, but Nimu wanted to stay hopeful that he wouldn't have to face the being that tore his arm out. "16, you should go help the others immediately." His fellow Android nodded and took off for that direction. "Nico, I wish to request to be within sight of the battle at the very least."

"You've got it."

Nico followed 16, but at a slower pace for Nimu's sake. He knew with his condition bordering on critical that he was going to be useless against Super 13. Neiz's Bind Wave would work against Super 13, since he was an Android. But Cell's bio-structure was more advanced than even Android 20's setup in terms of complexity, but more similarities to many previous models. Android 1, most obviously, but even more disturbing was how similar Cell's body was to that of both 17 and 18.

The worst had yet to come, but it had passed. Cell had to be gone. He just had to be. If not, things would get a lot worse, if he ever became complete. Whatever Gero intended with Cell's ultimate design, like many of the other androids he tried to create, he never finished. Cell was incomplete. And he died incomplete.

* * *

The big blue bastard was fast for someone his size. He came bowling towards 17 and his sister like an angry freight train with fists the size of wrecking balls. Thankfully, 17 and 18 were fast enough to to avoid them, but only just barely. They could still feel the wind from each swing he made at them.

"So, how do you think he went from that annoying yokel to this this giant beast?" 18 wondered between fists.

"Steroids are a double-edged sword there buddy," 17 told their foe. "I mean, sure you get tons of muscle, but do you have any idea what that does to your—,"

"GUAAAHHH!" Super 13 roared out in fury as he rushed 17 like an angry blue rocket. The snarky Android's wit failed him as he immediately tried to dodge the blindingly swift attack.

17 was saved when an energy blast struck Super 13's face, sending the big guy's aim off a fraction of an inch. 17 felt the leather from 13's gloved knuckles brush past his cheek, leaving a light cut across his skin. With the mountain of muscle dazed, 17 quickly fled in the opposite direction as more golden orbs of light slammed into the Super Android, covering him with explosions.

Trunks continued his endless, rapid-fire barrage, unloading all of his anger and power into Super 13. The young demi-saiyan swallowed down the bitter taste of saving Android 17's life, and focused instead on their plan to distract the blue behemoth. It wasn't long before Super 13 came rushing out towards Trunks, whose attacks bounced harmlessly off of the blue android's chest. Trunks quickly fled, disappearing from Super 13's sight. Further back, behind the youth, was Neiz who had fired off his Bind Wave.

The attack struck Super 13, leaving him stunned and screaming. He was completely defenseless, and open to Gohan and Dore's next attack. The two warriors made a nose-dive, crashing full force into Super 13's spine. The combined green and golden auras exploded in a flash of light, sending Super 13's hulking frame racing down to the ground.

Gohan twisted back, pulling his hands together by his hip. Dore took off, but not without firing enough energy blasts to distract and keep Super 13 in place. Trunks, Neiz, even 17 and 18—their heavier hitters, were flying circles around the blue behemoth to keep him busy. Gohan's aura burst to life, burning around him like a raging inferno.

"Kaaa..." The familiar blue orb formed between his hands, expanding and glowing brightly behind the hero. "Me..." Super 13's frustration was growing, and he was beginning to toss out energy bombs in retaliation when he could. It wouldn't be long before the others wouldn't be enough to distract the monstrous android. The orb in his hands expanded, glowing brighter, hotter. "Haaa!" The natural blue energy from the orb shifted once again to a burning, fiery yellow that matched Gohan's Super Saiyan aura. "ME...!"

Somehow, in the midsts of his endless bombardment on all sides, Super 13 managed to catch a glance at a Burning glow high above.

"HA!"

Gohan threw the attack forward, launching it with a thundering boom that sent vibrations through the air around the Burning Super Saiyan.

Super 13 screamed in fury and ignored the bombardment he was enduring to turn towards the Burning Kamehameha, bracing himself against the wave. The burning energy slammed into Super 13's hands, and pushed him further out of the sky, and closer to the ground. The Super Android screamed with effort as he pushed against Gohan's attack, slowly gaining ground.

Gohan knew the attack wouldn't work—not alone anyway. It couldn't stop Cell, how was it going to stop Super 13 He couldn't sense his newest ally, but he caught movement in the corner of his eye. Android 16 aimed both energy-cannons down, bright, golden spheres building in the barrels of each cannon.

"Hell's Flash!" 16's attack was unleashed, merging with Gohan's as the energy beam more than tripled in size. The reinforced energy slammed down into 13, pressing against his entire body as he went racing for the ground below.

Trunks watched as Super 13 was pushed down further and further by 16 and Gohan's combined attack. The boy's fists were clenched as he urged the wave on harder. They were so close, and there was no chance for Android 13 to escape.

"Give em hell!" Dore cheered. Neiz laughed with excitement, and agreement. The fewer Androids they had to deal with the better. As long as they didn't fuse with each other anymore.

"Looks like they're going to win," 17 stated. 18 said nothing. Just because Gohan won, didn't mean that she and 17 couldn't still lose.

Gohan and 16 both poured every last ounce of strength they had into their combined energy wave, putting Super 13 on his last legs. The furious Super Saiyan felt a small crack in that wall—the wall he couldn't seem to push past. He could feel a small, extra boost in power, which he quickly put into the attack to finish Super 13 once and for all. "You...can BURN IN HELL!"

The two heroes yelled as they gave one final, powerful push. Super 13 struggled to keep his footing against the floor, but he was slipping fast. The brutish Android screamed in defiance, attempting to make one final stand. However, the combined Burning Hell Kamehameha Wave won out, and with one final push came crashing down on Super 13.

The resulting explosion was large enough to wipe out the mountain range, and reduced their entire battlefield into a gigantic, smoldering crater, complete with a mushroom cloud that bloomed above the clouds.

Nico had just found a place to set Nimu down when the Burning Kamehameha was released. She never got around to landing after 16 aided Gohan. Both she and Nimu were utterly awestruck by the resulting explosion behind Gohan and 16's combined power.

"Wow..."

Nimu was astonished as well. The destructive output from the attack was well beyond Nimu's calculations. Witnessing the power firsthand was another matter entirely as well. And yet, behind his shock, Nimu felt worry building in the pit of his stomach. One particular thought, a small, foreign thing, suddenly became the only thing Nimu could think about.

"If Cell wasn't stopped..."

* * *

Once the field of combat had finally settled, the victors gathered just outside the edge of the crater formed by Gohan and 16's combined attack. The Devil's Pair didn't join the others, standing a safe distance away. With nothing to keep them on the same side, it was impossible for either of them to know for certain what the heroes would decide to do about them.

Gohan's body was sore and aching all over from the stress put on it by keeping his Super Saiyan transformation active for so long, and for pushing himself so hard against his own limitations. He couldn't help but wonder if his father had the same problem.

"So...that's it?" Dore asked, almost too worried to jinx their apparent luck.

All eyes turned to Nimu. There was a slight pause before the android realized why the others were staring at him. "I...have no way of being one hundred percent certain," he admitted. "Without any remains to identify, Cell could be hiding his power level, and Super 13—,"

"But there's also a chance that they're both completely vaporized, right?" Nico asked, stopping her partner before he went too far into the worst case scenarios.

"Yes, of course. But the only ways we could know for certain are—,"

"GUAAAHHH!"

Nimu's motion sensors jumped to life as everyone turned towards the sound of the furious blue beast. Super 13 was alive, and already bearing down on the heroes. Gohan lacked the power to fight back, and 16 was completely caught off guard.

Before he could strike, the damaged Super Android was sent flying back into the crater, courtesy of a boot from both 17 and 18. After 13 crashed into the ground, 17 lobbed a golden orb down at him before 18 dashed into the crater next. Super 13 looked up and backhanded 17's attack, but left himself wide open for 18 to nearly shatter his jaw with a vicious right hook. She didn't stop there, continuing with a series of lightning fast punches that battered 13's gigantic head around like a miniature punching bag. She finished with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head that sent the blue behemoth skipping across the ground.

"You know, I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but could we go _five minutes_ without something trying to kill us?!"

Super 13 sat up, bellowing furiously. His screaming was quickly silenced when the barrage of energy bombs started to lay into him. With one arm extended, firing off energy blasts like a machine gun, 18 began to slowly walk towards Super 13, keeping him on his knees. Her attacks were adding to the Super Android's already damaged, weakened form.

"Honestly," she snapped, summoning a beach ball sized energy bomb in her hand. "Know when you're beat, loser."

18 prepared to throw the attack to finish the menace once and for all, but she hesitated when something came bursting from the ground in front of her. She stared up in horror at the gleaming, hungry eyes staring down on her with a piercing gaze.

Nimu's sensors kicked off too late to sense Cell's sudden arrival. His mind raced through Cell's reasoning for hiding, for ambushing 18, connecting it to the analysis he made based on the bio sample he acquired. Cell was incomplete, but not entirely unique. The missing pieces were in front of him all along.

"GET AWAY 18!"

Cell's stinger spread wide open, large enough to swallow 18 whole. "What the hell?!"

"YOU'RE MINE!"

Cell's tail came down on 18, and slammed down on her tight. The vile creature cackled with delight as his tail started to swallow 18 up. Her shrieks of terror were muffled from the inside, her legs kicking frantically to try and escape.

"LAZULI!?" 17 charged in without a thought in mind other than to save his sister from the cackling freak. Nico practically dropped Nimu as she was quick to follow 17.

Cell could feel himself changing as 18 started to fuse with his being while moving through his tail. It wasn't until she reached his body—his core that her being was completely broken down, and assimilated into Cell's body.

At first, Cell felt as though a piece of him had returned, like a puzzle piece fitting perfectly in place. Then, with a sudden surge of power, and new biomass, his body began to undergo a frightening evolution. A blinding flash of light brought both 17 and Nico to a stop, forcing the others to shield their eyes.

They could all sense the change in their own ways. Gohan and Trunks could feel Cell's power skyrocketing, becoming larger and larger without any end in sight. Cell's power boost already exceeding what their sensors could read. The others who couldn't ordinarily sense power levels could sense the change in the air itself.

Cell's bird-like Ankokan legs changed, shifted into a more ordinary bipedal shape. His predatory toes pulled together, forming a pair of artificial boots in its place. His body as a whole grew larger, broader, forming and shaping into a more humanoid form. His obsidian wings grew longer with his tail, coiling slightly around his legs. His head carapace became smaller, forming around the sides and the back of his head, reaching down the back of his neck. The top part of his head was open, his bio-gem covering his exposed head.

The new, larger Cell stood upright, lightning crackling across his chest and arms. The end result was something more horrifying than any of them could imagine. Cell's eyes stared directly ahead at the heroes, the ants who had kept him so long from taking his first step towards perfection, towards completion. His new lips pulled up into a smile at the looks of terror he saw.

Without a word, Cell turned and faced the wounded Super 13. The blue menace watched in horror as Cell charged a black and red ball of destructive energy, launching it without hesitation. The attack was too quick for the Super Android to even attempt blocking, but even if he did, it would have made little difference.

The resulting explosion from Cell's attack wiped Super 13 out without a doubt, as well as covering the entire battlefield with the resulting blast. The devastation was several times larger than Gohan and 16's Burning Hell Kamehameha Wave, and it left a much deeper hole in the ground than before, large enough to rebuild and hide the old city in.

Luck was on the hero's side as they all managed to escape the blast unharmed. Gohan pulled Trunks out of the fire, and carried Nimu over his shoulder while 16 had both the heavier pair of Neiz and Dore on his shoulders. Nico and 17 were further from the group, but they were all in the air just outside new pillar of smoke that stood before them. Super 13 and Cell were nowhere to be found, but Cell's energy signature was still detectable within the massive tower. There was no reason for him to hide. Not anymore. There wasn't a damn thing they could do to stop him now.

"Run," Gohan called out. "RUN!"

They didn't wait, blasting off to put as much distance between them and the newly evolved monster as they could.

* * *

A light breeze began to push through the smoke, revealing Cell, who took a moment to get a feel for his new body. He still felt incomplete. 17 was still out there. But his appetite had gone from sateless glutton to something comparative to a mild craving. His desire for perfection did not falter though. With a delighted smile, Cell prepared to hunt down 17, and wipe out all the fleas that stood in his way.

* * *

His power was so foul—so terrible. How could something exist that felt so...large? Hercule wondered if Gohan and Trunks felt the same thing when sensing a person's energy. "Th-this...this is...Cell?!"

Even Popo was sweating under the pressure of Cell's incredible power. As grim as things seemed though, Popo knew it was time for their trump card to come into play. "We just need to pray they survive..."

"Survive?!" Hercule turned on Popo sharply. "How can they survive against _that_?! How can any of us?!" He thought becoming a Guardian would make things better, that he was supposed to help. Being able to sense what they were up against only seemed to make things worse.

"Please Hercule, do not forget that Gohan already planned ahead for the worst outcome." Hercule opened his mouth to scream, but nothing every came out. Not when he picked up a whole new list of things that he sensed. Something close, something on the Lookout.

A door of some kind? _How did I know that?_ Shortly after were two new powers, both of whom made their way out from the Lookout.

It was Hercule's first time sensing their energy, but his mind was already telling him who the newcomers were before they came stepping out onto the Lookout. First was the blue skinned lieutenant, his clothes and armor, ripped and broken all to hell, covered in light bruises and scars. There was one scar that stood out—one that ran from the back of his right cheek, up across his temple, over the back edge of his brow. His hair was also shorter on the sides, left longer on the top and combed over to the left. Despite his ragged appearance, the soldier sported a confident, rested smile on his handsome face.

Cooler looked the same coming out as he did going in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and he wore the same stoic scowl on his face as always. Upon closer inspection, Hercule saw a light scar cutting across Cooler's chest. It was an old wound, but it stood out on the monarch's ivory chest.

"No welcoming party?" Salza asked, stepping in a circle to examine the empty area. "Guess zhat enormous power level means zhey screwed zhings up."

"Undoubtedly," Cooler agreed. They others were half a world away, but Cooler could still sense them from their distance. "All still alive too? I guess that monkey was good for something after all." The monarch turned his focus to what, or rather who, was in front of him.

Hercule took a nervous step back as he fell under Cooler's gaze. The monarch stared silently at the former champion and Mister Popo, who was completely calm. After a few seconds of silence, Cooler gaze on last glance at Salza before blasting off of the Lookout.

"Pardon?" Salza stepped forward, sporting a friendly smile towards the pair. "I don't suppose eizher of you gentlemen have a spare sent of clothes? It is unbecoming for a warrior to go into battle already looking beaten up."

"I...I think I've got something in my ship," Hercule said, making his way slowly to the vehicle. He moved backwards on his way to the ship, staring at both Salza and Popo who smiled back at him. Popo's smile was different from Salza's though. The caretaker's smile only said one thing to Hercule.

 _I told you so._

* * *

 **So, aside from feeling slightly rushed, I'm overall happy with this chapter. I shortened the fights immensely to be honest (namely 17 and 18 fighting 20, and the three-way battle between Super 13, Cell, and 16) but I also didn't want to drag those fights out either. I'm going to try to keep my fights shorter and more intense, similar to Dragon Ball Super (instead of having five episodes dedicated to someone wiping the floor with another person for example). Yeah, DBZ is guilty of it, I'm guilty of it in some of the earlier chapters, but no more!**

 **Cell absorbing 18 was kinda last minute to be honest. My notes for the next chapter literally have 18 still written in them xD But oh well, I couldn't fit a scene for 17 I want to do in before then, and 18 had pretty well run her course for this story. Unfortunate, and she will be missed...for a bit anyway.**

 **And now Cell will begin his hunt for 17! Will the heroes be able to stop him? Will Cooler arrive in time to stop him? And what will Salza be wearing in the next chapter?! (you won't expect it, I promise) All these questions and more will be answered...next time! Because I don't spoil like that.**

 **If you're reading this, thank you for reading this far! I very much appreciate it. Reviews are kind and awesome and I promise I read all of them even if I don't always reply (I don't know what to say other than thank you all and you're awesome). And they feed my writing addiction.**


	14. Chapter 14: Trust and Faith

There was a commotion going on, something about a group of flying people approaching from the north. Everyone assumed it was more Androids when they heard, but the scout Bulma talked to described wounded and injured warriors and people, and even a few members of the Giras people. In all the years of fighting Gero's creations, there had never been a single one that wasn't human in appearance. The fact that there were so many humans that could fly however—that in itself worried Bulma a bit too. Where did they learn to fly, was the first question on her mind.

As the Overseer, and unofficial leader of the Resistance, Bulma knew she had to be front and center to greet the new arrivals, be they friend or foe. Between Cooler's arrival, General Bon's betrayal, and Android 3 defecting, Bulma wasn't sure who to trust. Nobody was for that matter. There weren't many of them—their flying visitors. The Resistance easily outnumbered them, thanks to the ever growing drone army. But if this new group could fly, who knows what else they were capable of.

A large, red-eyed Giras with one large rhinoceros-like horn sticking out of his nose, and two more spiked out from the back of his skull stepped forward to meet Bulma. Unlike most of the Giras that had a large, rounded appearance, the one-eyed reptile looked closer to an actual dragon in appearance than the others.

"This is the Resistance?" the Giras leader asked with a deep voice.

"That's us," Bulma said. "And you are?"

"We are a warrior tribe who took refuge in the northern mountains. I am former Chief Aoi. I am the leader of this group."

"Former chief?"

There was a flicker of remorse in Aoi's red eye. "Chieftains typically have a home to protect and serve." Bulma had to resist the urge to question Aoi about the men following him. Any one of them should be considered worth protecting, if the giant reptile was in fact their leader. Perhaps it was a position he inherited, rather than truly earned. "For now, we seek a place to regroup. We honestly did not believe our scouts saying that the Red Ribbon Army was overthrown by the Resistance. An impressive feat for your kind, to say the least."

Bulma ignored the remark of doubt that Aoi voiced. Who would have figured racism survived after General Bon's demise? Bulma had the feeling Aoi's remark was made in ignorance, however, not hatred.

"Well, I wish I could say it was easy. But this is the most fortified place on the entire planet, so you're more than welcome to stay with us."

Aoi's lone eye looked over Bulma, scanning the crowd. "Your hospitality is appreciated, but unnecessary. We were planning to improve your operations ourselves."

She knew it was too easy. They were coming for something more than just sanctuary. Aoi thought he was going to lead. He wasn't leaving her, or the Resistance, with any room to refuse. "Our 'operations' are just fine. We don't need you to take over for us."

"I can assure you that this is for the safety of your people. None of you have any idea what's actually out there. We are your best chance to defend everyone from—,"

"Something big, ugly, and green?" The slight flinch in Aoi's expression was a dead giveaway. That and the look of hell written on the faces of his men when they first arrived. "We've encountered that monster too. In fact, Gohan and my son are out fighting against it right now!"

"Then they are as good as dead. We must be ready to defend against it and—,"

"We're doing that well enough without you trying to come in and bossing us around. This is our home, and you are guests. You have no right to just swoop in and start ordering us around!"

Aoi straightened up, using his height to tower over Bulma in an attempt to intimidate her. It wasn't working. "Who is going to stop me from taking command, little woman?"

"How about the hundreds of armed soldiers and robots that could drop you before you managed to get your claws on me?" The Resistance soldiers and their drones raised their weapons up on cue. Bulma's resolve wavered when she saw the survivors behind Aoi cringe back. They didn't want to fight, and Bulma didn't want to execute her own kind. Aoi's arrogance was going to lead to bloodshed if this progressed any further.

There were whispers building behind Bulma. Likely someone on her side realized that Aoi's faction didn't want to fight. "I can handle this." Bulma turned her head, and Android 3 was standing at her side, stepping out from the crowd. "Mister Aoi only believes himself a leader due to his individual strength. If removing that pride is what it takes to make him follow our rules, then so be it."

Aoi shook his head with a look of insult. Clearly he had no idea what he was up against, but even if she had the advantage, Android 3 was the last one to be taking any risks to expose herself. Her identity coming out could cause more problems than it fixes with Aoi's faction. "You don't have to do this."

Android 3 met Bulma's gaze, and just smiled. "I'm afraid I do. Open combat risks the lives of others. Risk to myself in single combat is nothing." Bulma didn't have a chance to protest any further as the redheaded Android stepped forward. The damn fool still didn't understand her value to them—her value as more than a fighter.

Aoi was practically seething as the Resistance backed away to give 3 some space. It was no secret that there weren't a lot of people who were fond of the idea of keeping her around, even after Bulma personally clipped her wings—figuratively speaking. She was still dangerous, and more than capable of killing every last one of them, but that wasn't a concern for Bulma. The settlers in the mountains knew that after Android 3 risked her life to save them. It was the rest of humanity that needed convincing. She believed that this would be the only way, to throw herself on the sword before anyone has a chance to fight. It was a noble trait, but when people made noble choices for stupid reasons, mistakes tended to follow.

Android 3 bowed her head to the towering Giras. "It's an honor to meet you Chieftain. My name is...Treet." There was a slight hint of annoyance in her tone. She didn't bother to think of a new alias to hide her nature. Though she honestly didn't expect any survivors not tied to the Resistance after the Fury Force's fall. 3 felt like the name 'Treet' was something she was stuck with. It was minor, inconsequential, but not the name 3 would have picked for herself.

"I don't give a damn what your name is! I will tear you in half if you don't stand aside!"

She sharply snapped to a combative stance, preparing herself for a fight. "It was my understanding opponents would introduce themselves in combat as a sign of respect. I suppose I was mistaken."

Aoi's eye widened, filled with fury and contempt as the redheaded fighter didn't back down. A measly, untrained human dared to stand against him? Insulting. "You wish to die?! Fine then!" The mighty warrior expanded his wings out, charged a powerful white aura that rocked the ground beneath his feet as he charged forward.

Android 3's eyes picked apart Aoi's openings a mile away. She ducked to avoid the strike aimed to shatter her skull, twisting underneath of the attack. She threw her foot straight up, driving a punishing kick straight into Aoi's stomach. The massive fighter doubled over in the air around the Android's kick, which threw him higher into the air. Had she used just a bit more force, and aimed a bit higher, she could have cracked Aoi's ribs. The Giras people were surprisingly resilient regardless.

Aoi's wings gave a hearty swing as he thrust himself higher into the air, out of 3's reach. She allowed him to escape, hoping the demonstration would be enough. The chances of that were low, but not absolute zero. Aoi's single red eye glared daggers through Android 3.

"You...got lucky...!"

She made no remark, only waiting for action. Aoi could forfeit or he could continue fighting. He chose to keep fighting, as his stance indicated.

Aoi's aura flared to life again as he dashed towards. His wings gave him an extra boost of speed, and aerial maneuverability. It wasn't like she could go around flying in public in front of the new blood. She was effectively grounded. 3 turned around the next strike and grabbed Aoi's large arm with both hands, pulling him over her shoulder and throwing the heavyweight down hard. The ground split open underneath the Giras' weight, causing two plates of earth to snap up underneath him. Aoi's power flared to life around him as he rose his head up to smash his into 3's. She cried out as the force of the blow threw her back off of her feet. She was quick to recover, flipping onto her hands to bring her legs down in a crouched stance.

The warrior gave a furious roar as he fired a searing blue wave of energy barreling towards Android 3. The attack was more than she expected, but she braced herself against it never the less. She put her hands out and caught the destructive energy wave, which burned away her gloves in an instant. The amount of power Aoi poured into the attack was dangerous—too dangerous to launch off so close to innocents. As worried as she was to expose herself, 3 couldn't allow anyone to get hurt for the sake of Aoi's warrior pride.

She pushed against the energy wave with a strained cry, lifting it above her head, holding it firmly between her hands so that it wouldn't fly off. It was harder for her to hold her footing while she held the beam at an angle, but the ground she slowly lost was acceptable. With another cry, Android 3 brought her foot up and kicked the beam skyward, turning its trajectory up at a sharper angle so there was no chance of it harming anyone.

Aoi was reeling from shock when Android 3 dashed forward, and already moved behind him before he could blink. She wrapped her arms around the warrior's waist and pulled him back off of his feet, and sent him flying back like a rocket. His own men dove for cover to avoid the speeding mass that was their leader, providing a clearing for Android 3 to sprint between as she chased the arrogant reptile. Aoi crashed onto the ground finally, rolling and tumbling through rock and dirt before finally sliding to a stop, lying on his back. Before he could move, Android 3 was on top of him, standing on top of him, staring down her nose at the warrior with her foot firmly on his chest.

"Our leadership and direction is fine without any hostile intervention," Android 3 said. "Any such attempt—hostile attempt, just for clarification, will be met with swift action, and excessive force if necessary. Which would you prefer to make yourself, Chieftain Aoi?" A bead of sweat traveled down the side of Aoi's scaly jaw. His arms were laid out to the side, facing the ground, body tense with fear, not anger. He would rather die than admit it out loud, but Aoi relented to the Resistance with his inaction. "I apologize for any injuries I may have given you. If you like—,"

"Stay the hell away from me," he snapped, crawling away once 3 had lightened her foot from his chest. She kept her head down as Aoi stood up and walked around her, putting a considerable distance between them. His eye never left her, and she never dared to meet his gaze.

He may have submitted, but Android 3 knew she had revealed herself in doing so.

* * *

Salza got a crude idea of his appearance thanks to his reflection in the windshield of Hercule's airship. The green track suit looked somewhat tacky, but not entirely bad on Salza, given his natural skin tone. It also helped that Hercule gave Salza and extra bag of Senzu Beans for the injured when he made it to the others. "I suppose it's not all zhat bad," he admitted, leaving the zipper down just below his collar line, leaving his neck exposed. The closed collar made the appearance _too_ tacky. "Zhank you again my friend. Perhaps when zhis is all over I might be able to say somezhing nice if Lord Cooler decides to destroy zhe planet."

Hercule paled a little. He glanced at Popo, who made no real expression whatsoever, as always. How the caretaker remained so calm in the face of such a casual threat was a mystery. "I uh...appreciate it?" the Guardian told Salza.

"Oh don't zhank me. I can't even guarantee zhat he hasn't made up his mind already. Zhat, and who knows how much power he will decide to use against Cell." Salza missed the feel of his gloves wrapped around his fingers, but he could make due with his hands and forearms exposed with the track suit's sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Just saying zhat I would try."

"Your master, is he strong enough to stop Cell?" Mister Popo asked.

Salza ran his hands through his shortened hair as he turned away from his reflection. "If zhat is what you are worried about, zhen you are worried over nozhing. Lord Cooler has no equal in zhe universe anymore. Not zhe Super Saiyan, not zhe Androids, and certainly not Cell. Now, if you gentlemen shall excuse me, I need to see my king in his moment of triumph." Salza zeroed in on Cell's foul energy signature and took off. For the first time since he learned how to sense another's power, Salza regretted that he could. Cell became a being that was worse and worse to stomach when one could sense how foul he truly was. So many powers all trying to meld into one, incomplete, broken mess. Monstrous.

And since his master had a head start already, Salza had some catching up to do towards their target.

* * *

They descended quickly once they reached the coast, hiding along the cliff walls. The ocean waters were moving hard, crashing against the rock walls. It wasn't easy, but thanks to 16, they managed to hold 17 back from rushing Cell in a stupid attempt to avenge his sister. Gohan was worried about how much stronger Cell could get if he absorbed the other Androids. Suddenly, their best hope became their biggest liability in the fight against Cell.

"Let go of me you big shit-head!"

"There is nothing more that can be done for your sister," 16 protested, allowing 17 to hit his face and chest without budging. Each blow connected without hindrance, but they didn't seem to even faze 16. Eventually, 17 stopped the futile effort. "Cell would likely have absorbed you as well, making him even more powerful than he already is."

"Son of a—can he do that with all of you?!" Dore asked. "Does he change every time, like Super 13 did?!"

"It's only 17 and 18," Nimu answered. Everyone turned to him as usual for clarity. "When I took a sample of Cell's body, there were...similarities in their cybernetic design. For any Android to achieve a perfected fusion, Gero had to create them very specifically. A puzzle piece won't fit if it doesn't belong in the right puzzle after all. Cell was created with the idea that he would absorb 17 and 18 specifically in order to attain his true form."

"I guess that makes sense," Gohan agreed. "If Cell could absorb any of the Androids, he probably would have done the same to Super 13 instead of kill him. That kind of power boost—,"

"You mean that thing was made to...to eat me and Lazuli!?" Nobody said a word. 17 growled in frustration. He wished there was a city he could destroy. Several cities. He still couldn't get the image of his sister being swallowed up by that monster out of his head. He wanted to hurt something, to take his pain and anger and throw it all at someone or something.

"We need to get 17 out of here," Nimu said. "As long as Cell can reach him, he is in danger, and we're all going to die."

"You think we stand a chance against Cell regardless?!" Neiz shouted. "You're the craziest little bastard on this planet! And trust me when I say that's a hell of a list, buddy!"

"We have a slight chance to survive right now!" Nimu raised his voice. It was the first time he had ever shouted. "If Cell gains another boost like this, we stand no chance at all!"

"Then we need to get you out of here too," Nico said. She wouldn't let Nimu stay, even if he could think of a good reason to stay. With only one arm, all Nimu was good for was strategy. But there was no strategy with such impossible odds. There were going to be sacrifices. There was always the chance none of them would survive. Survival was a possibility, but the least likely outcome for any of them.

" _I don't think anyone is going anywhere,"_ a voice called out. It was different than before, but they all knew in an instant that it was Cell.

The towering Bio-Android stood on the edge of the cliff-side shore, the waves crashing below his feet as the dark, stormy clouds approached from the sea. "This can only go one way for all of you. Die now, or die later. It makes no real difference I suppose. Either way, 17 will be mine, and you ants will be dirt to me. Make your peace now or later, it makes no difference to me. Those who run will not be pursued, unless you're trying to take 17 with you. If you stay, you will die."

"Is he really trying to barter with us?" Dore asked in a furious hush, doing his best not to shout. "The nerve of this fucker!"

"Am I to understand that means you're staying, Dore?" Cell laughed as he stared out at the horizon. "Namekian hearing can pick up even the slightest whispers. Do you dare to plan some conniving trick on me?" Nobody said a word. There was nothing they could do—nothing they could say that would end up changing anything. They were cornered with no ways out except through Cell. "I'll give you all until the count of ten. One..."

Dore screamed at the top of his lungs, his dark green aura exploding around him. Those who were near him jumped back as the brute charged upward and attacked Cell with a powerful blow to the jaw. His gloved knuckles dug into Cell's chin, but the Bio-Android's head didn't budge, he didn't blink. Instead, the creature's thick lips pulled up into a smile as his eyes slowly fell onto Dore.

"My, aren't we rather brave? Or perhaps, just stupid? Honestly, I'm not sure with you people anymore."

Without a care, Cell's tail whipped around and slapped Dore to the side. The blow was strong enough to nearly crack the brute's ribcage in half. He tore across the ground on his side, unconscious and half broken from a single, lazy strike.

"Will there be second helpings?" Cell turned his eyes forward, where Gohan and 16 were charging in, ready to strike. Rather than swat them out of the air, Cell allowed their strikes to land against his face. Just like Dore's attempt, neither attack had any effect on the the unstoppable monster. He humored them, allowing 16 and Gohan to land dozens of strikes across his body, searching for a weakness. There were none, none that they could exploit. If he weren't so close to perfection, Cell would have almost no need in hunting down 17. There was no need against these weaklings. But with perfection within reach, nothing would stop Cell from his goals.

His body didn't appear to move until the back of his fist slammed into Gohan's jaw. The instantaneous strike was enough to send Gohan tearing through the ground, rock shatter like brittle glass in his wake. The attack had more than knocked the fight, and the Super Saiyan, out of the boy. The counterstrike caused 16 to pull away. Cell would no longer tolerate the Android's interference. He fired a single, light-green bullet from his fingertip at 16's head. The bolt connected and detonated a small explosion, enough to blow away part of 16's head, and send him flying back with smoke billowing out from the wound.

Cell turned his head and saw a group of cowards trying to flee. In a single instant, he was in front of them, denying their retreat. "Let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be." All that remained was 17, a half mangled Nimu, Nico, Neiz, and Trunks. Hardly humanity's A-Team. Still, they were ready to go down fighting. "Oh this is hardly worth my time."

He raised his hand up, four purple orbs the size of a marble hovering at his fingertips. Neiz recognized the King's Hand attack, and immediately fired his Bind Wave to stop it. Cell was sluggish in his response and was hit with the sudden surprise attack. It momentarily stopped him, and disrupted his attack, saving their lives for a few more seconds. Neiz's smile disappeared as quickly as it formed however. To his horror, Cell's paralyzed state only lasted a few short seconds before he broke through its effects. Once it was gone, Cell only shook his head.

"Honestly, you struggle in vain. You should all know better than this. But you fools will never learn..." Cell sent Neiz flying back to shore with a blinding knee to his chest. The crimson Zaltian briefly cried out before he crashed down hard against the ground. Cell dealt with Nimu next by literally throwing the mangled Android out of the way, and out of Nico's grasp. The broken Android went flying a considerable distance out towards the sea. Cell flashed a hungry smile at 17, now with only two insects in his way. "Come here, brother..."

"Bring it on, freak!"

Nico quickly moved herself in front of 17, her resolve absolute in the face of her destruction. "17, run!" Cell moved again, his hand racing out so quickly that Nico couldn't avoid it as Cell grabbed her face. He squeezed down hard, causing a Nico to scream in pain and terror. Cell's grip threatened to crush her head entirely, a feat which would be as simple for him as crumpling up a ball of paper.

"I almost don't see the point. But, you know how the old saying goes...in for a penny..."

Cell delivered a solid blow straight into Nico's body. His fist shattered several parts of Nico's innards. The screaming stopped, her body hanging limp by her head. Cell laughed and then threw the motionless heap furiously back to shore. Two more left.

The unstoppable Bio-Android was given pause when he felt the sting from a powerful energy blast exploding against his chest. His gaze turned to Trunks, his eyes and aura burning with anger. Cell would have been amused if he wasn't so tired of their games. He reached forward, and flicked his forefinger against Trunks' forehead. The attack was powerful enough to draw blood, as the red substance came shooting from the youth's cranium. Like Nimu, Cell allowed Trunks to fall into the storming tides below. With the trash out of the way, Cell turned to 17 with a smile on his twisted face. 17 stood fast, ready to go down swinging. He was going to die before letting a freak like Cell absorb him.

"You wanna take me on freak show?!"

"That is the general idea," Cell replied mockingly.

17 rushed forward, screaming at Cell as he charged. The monster just continued to smile as his prey lashed out, doing nothing to stop him. Each punch smashed against Cell's face, but he never flinched under 17's punishing blows—never even blinked. He only laughed at the pitiful attempt before he finally put an end to the assault. Cell's hand appeared in front of 17, blasting him point-blank with an invisible kiai attack. The force of the blast pushed 17 back like a leaf being thrown with the force of a hurricane. In a blink, 17 crashed into the shore harder than any of the others, and traveled through the ground much further too.

At the end of a very long trench was 17's ragged, battered form, curled up and covered in gashes and wounds with a little bit of dirt and rock lying across his body. Cell hovered over the destructive road 17's body tore, admiring his handiwork.

"Perhaps I put a little too much into that one," Cell admitted, talking to 17's unconscious body. "Though to be fair, this body is brand new." He landed his artificial boots on the ground and began walking along the trench towards his prize. "Not that it will matter. This body is going to be nothing in a few seconds." Cell's tail wriggled with excitement before it finally wrapped over his shoulder, poised to strike. "Besides, this may be the last bit of fun I get to have for awhile. If this is all that's left to stand in my way, then this battle has been decided long ago."

Cell reached down and grabbed 17's throat, squeezing down hard. 17 was awoken by the sudden, crushing pressure on his neck, letting out a choked cry. Cell only laughed, which earned him several vicious, retaliating blows that landed over his side. 17's kicks were as useless as his punches. Another tight squeeze stopped the attacks, and nearly popped 17's head off of his shoulders.

Cell laughed in his 'brother's' face, holding the final piece to his perfection in his hand. 17 pulled at Cell's hand, trying to loosen his grip—trying to break free. "Give...her...back!"

"Come now, don't be like that," Cell taunted. "You'll be reunited with our sister _very_ soon. So why not just give in and accept your fate." As the monster began to laugh, 17 felt his stomach turn. He refused to go out the same way. He was going to put Cell down for taking his sister.

"I said..." He pull as hard as he could to break Cell's grip. The monster's fingers didn't budge, but he allowed 17 to try, wanting him to run the last bit of his hope dry. "Give...her...BACK...!"

She was gone. Lazuli—18, was always on him, always there to keep him in line. Now she was gone. She didn't die fighting, she wasn't protecting her brother, or going out in a blaze of glory. Some freak of nature jumped out of the ground and ate her like a snack. Neither sibling were considered 'good people' by any stretch of the imagination, but Lazuli deserved a better fate than what she got. Something better than being swallowed up by the freak who laughed in his face about it.

17 finally started to loosen Cell's grip. It was slight at first, but something Cell immediately noticed. "Give her back...right NOW!"

Cell's grip was broken like a shackle around 17's neck. He was successful in breaking a few of Cell's fingers, along with half of his hand, which was more than enough for the startled Bio-Android to pull back with a pained howl. 17 quickly gathered as much energy into both of his hands as he could, driven by an undying need for vengeance. He brought both orbs crashing together, forming a much larger ball of energy that he raised above his head.

"GIVE HER BACK!"

The orb came down, unleashing a destructive wave of energy that washed down over Cell, pushing down deep through the ground. 17 poured more energy into the attack, screaming in outrage, in pain, and fury as he put everything he had into the attack.

Everything stopped when Cell broke out of the golden sea of energy, quickly slamming his fist into 17, sending the defiant Android flying back down to the ground. The attack gave Cell a few scratches and marks, but he was largely undamaged as a whole. 17 crashed against the ground some distance away once again.

"Hm...play time is over now, 17. Time to eat."

Cell took a single step before his senses spiked to his right. He turned and swatted a glowing bomb out of the air before it could hit him. The explosion packed a hell of a boom, comparable to 17's little outburst. Cell looked back to the source of the attack. To his own humor, he saw Trunks soaking wet from head to toe from the ocean water, with blood running down his face from where Cell flicked him in the forehead. The invincible monster only laughed as he turned to face the boy.

"This is becoming ridiculous. Do you really think you stand a chance against me all on your own?! I should kill you where you—,"

Cell's rant was cut short when a green blur came crashing into him. The impact was enough to rock Cell's footing, causing him to stumble back. When he looked down, Cell saw Dore with his aura ablaze pressing into him with all his might.

"Wh-what?!"

Dore pulled his head up, viciously slamming the back of his head into Cell's mouth. The blow knocked the Bio-Android's head back, leaving him wide open as Dore sent him reeling with a savage blow to the jaw. Cell stumbled back again, tumbling in a circle before he turned to face Dore again. The green brute's new power wasn't a threat by any means. Cell was just in absolute denial about how a weakling like Dore became strong enough to where Cell would lose ground.

The Beppan gave a vicious grin, veins rippling over his muscles as his aura continued to flare around him. "Lucky you didn't get any of my genes, huh freak? See, my race, we have this ability where the more damage we take, the stronger we get." Cell scowled at the explanation of Dore's rise in power. His eyes moved over the brute's dark, fresh bruise that spread over nearly half of his body from where Cell lashed out at him with his tail. "Yeah...that attack hurt like a bitch." Dore laughed as he cracked his knuckles, and his neck. "Let me return the favor."

Another power spiked behind Dore. He didn't move as a golden light was cast behind him, the winds blowing against his back. Dore didn't need to sense others to know that Trunks was the source of the power. Unlike Dore's, Trunks' power didn't seem to stop rising.

Trunks screamed as his power shook the ground, his lavender hair flaring up wildly. His anger was sparked by Cell's power, by the final stand everyone was making to slow Cell down. They were going to die if they didn't fight—they might die anyway. Trunks refused to die helpless while Gohan—while everyone fought for him to survive.

The only other one who was going die was going to be Cell.

"This is pathetic," Cell shouted. "Go on then! Raise your power levels! Fight back until your knuckles bleed and your bones break, I will still be the one standing at the end of all of this!"

"No more...!" Trunks tightened his fists, nails tearing into the flesh of his palm. "I won't let anyone else die! This is MY world! _I_ am the one who is going to defend it!" Whatever the reason, everyone was fighting against Cell. Whether it be survival, revenge, or to save the planet, they all knew they would die fighting. Trunks had made peace with the fact that he would be no different than the others.

His aura flickered with a new shade, a bright yellow burst of energy. The ground quaked under the boy's rising power, as he took control of his anger, and brought it screaming forth. His power doubled the size of his aura, which had exploded into a brilliant golden color. With new fury-filled green eyes, Trunks blitzed forward without hesitation.

Cell watched the brat speed forward, allowing the boy to get one strike off. He regretted the choice as Trunks' fist packed more of a punch than he expected. The blow struck with a thunderous _'boom!'_ as it sent Cell reeling back. He fell back two paces, more shocked than anything by the force of the blow. This left him wide open as Dore came crashing in from behind with enough speed to use his Comet Crusher at point-blank range. The second impact knocked Cell flat on his face, his weight breaking the rock under him.

Dore laughed in triumph as he jumped over next to Trunks. He raised his arm up, gathering power into his hand. Cracks of lightning flared up the brute's swollen arm. "I'm starting to like you kid!"

Trunks scowled, eyes trained on Cell. He threw his arms forward, hands held out to the side, charging an orb of raw blue energy in front of him. Trunks realized as he charged his attack next to Dore, that he wasn't repulsed by the idea of the Armored Squadron as allies. "The feeling's mutual..."

Both warriors unleashed their attacks, Dore's purple Nova Crasher cast a dark glow in contrast to the golden light that shined off of Trunks' Buster Cannon. The two beams raced towards the grounded Cell. The explosion detonated, swallowing up everything in its wake, wiping out a considerable chunk of the ground and everything around it. The destructive power was on par with the Hell's Flash technique.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop Cell, who remained standing in the center of the crater Dore and Trunks created. Needless to say, Cell was anything but happy.

Dore's aura suddenly went out, and his power plummeted to rock bottom. He felt every pound of torn or tearing muscle weigh him down. He had never once been pushed so far with the Heat Burst Technique. Dore saw a silver lining in that he would probably never have to do that again, fortunately. At least he could die knowing he fought as Lord Cooler intended: without quarter, and to the bitter end without fear.

Trunks kept his eyes locked with Cell's. He and Dore both knew it was a futile attempt, but they weren't going to die running or sitting down. Trunks' time as a Super Saiyan would be brief, but he felt exhilarated moreso than any other time in his life. He felt powerful, even compared to Cell's impossible strength. He couldn't win, but he no longer felt like a helpless child sitting on the sidelines. He was finally a Saiyan warrior, like his father. Like Gohan.

"Are you done now?" Cell asked, panting, short on patience and breath.

Dore groaned, barely clinging to consciousness as he looked up at Trunks. "I...I think I'm done for now...t-try to get one in for me kid..."

Cell moved out of the crater, standing across from the last warrior that stood in his way. Trunks didn't waver, standing defiantly in the face of death. Cell narrowed his eyes to match the youth's contempt. Nothing left, and he acted like there was anything left to fight for.

As he stared down at Trunks, Cell offered the boy a smile. "It's almost sad. That look suits you, boy. The Super Saiyan look, I mean." The monster laughed, his smirk widening. "With your hair like that, I can truly see your father in you..." Trunks did something unexpected. He flashed a smile of his own. Cell arrogance vanished, replaced by a bewildered look. He half a mind to snap the boy's neck on the spot. "What's so funny?!" Why would he be smiling?

Trunks held his smile, sensing that fast-approaching power level that was practically within throwing distance. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Cell's first thought went to 17. He whirled around, but still saw the Android unconscious in a pile of dirt. Just to be sure, he checked on the others as well. Barring the two he dropped in the ocean, Cell counted everyone down, with the exception of Trunks himself.

"I think you're confused," Cell stated with a confident smile on his fish-like lips. "You're out of warriors, out of heroes to fight for you. All that's left is you and me. And I think we both know how this is going to end..."

"Yeah. With your death, Cell!"

The next second, a blinding force crashed into Cell, knocking him back down into the crater and placing a heavy dent in his bio-armor's chest. His cheeks bloated as his mouth filled with blood, coughing the purple substance out before pulling himself up to to his knees, screaming in agony. A few more pained coughs cleared Cell's throat of blood, allowing him to get a good look at his new attacker. When he did, Cell could hardly believe who stood before him.

Trunks let out a sigh of relief when he saw Cooler standing between him and Cell now. Thankfully Cell didn't seem too busy to keep distracted, what with his arrogant speeches about his power. There was a level of satisfaction Trunks couldn't describe after watching Cell get knocked on his ass in an instant. Evil tyrant or not, Cooler saved Trunks' live, and made his day.

Cell floated out of the crater, hovering in the air as he glared daggers at the the monarch returned. Cooler returned the stare, his tail idly swishing back and forth with a level of impatient annoyance. The Bio-Android landed at the edge of the crater, standing across from the new challenger. "Cooler...how could I forget?"

"Cell...somehow you became even uglier than I remember."

* * *

She was being followed. Her sensors tracked the people following her. She played her hand too soon to Aoi during their skirmish. He knew she wasn't human. Once she identified the group of four tailing her as Aoi's group, Android 3 lured them away from the rest of the Resistance. She couldn't afford to risk any bystanders, as Aoi showed no concern for them in his desperate bid for control. All to claim victory.

She moved through a lesser used district within the military fortress, largely due to the damage it had taken from the united assaults of the Fury Force and then the Resistance. Plenty of wreckage, no strategic value, no witnesses. Nothing to get in the way if Aoi were to make an appearance.

Not a moment later, the Giras leader stepped out from around a corner, facing Android 3 with a scowl. She stopped, staying calm despite being trapped on either side. Four trained humans to her back, Aoi and two of his Giras tribesmen flanking him. It was obvious Aoi was not wanting to talk.

"I did not intend to humiliate you previously," she spoke, quick to apologize. She knew it was a longshot that Aoi was after petty vengeance, but it was a possibility nonetheless. "I apologize for—,"

"Shut your mouth," the warrior-beast snarled. "I know what you are!" She said nothing as Aoi's fierce red-eye glared right through her. "I know what you're trying to do!"

"My only intention is to aid the Resistance. I have no ulterior motive, I promise—,"

"I said SHUT UP!" Aoi threw his wings out, throwing out a ring of dust and dirt from around him. Android 3 didn't move as the ring broke at her feet. It was a show of strength, little more. "You're one of them...you're an Android, hiding out among the Resistance!"

"I am not hiding from them. Only from you." Aoi snarled, displeased with 3's response. "I have never hidden my nature from the Resistance. However, given your current reaction, hiding this fact from you seemed to be the correct choice."

"You expect me to buy that? You think I'm stupid enough to believe that the Resistance would allow an Android to walk among them?!"

"It's only stupid to deny the truth." Her response drew another angry growl from Aoi's lips. One day, 3 was going to teach herself to think before she spoke so honestly. "I did not mean to insult you, Chieftain, I only meant to—,"

Aoi let out a thunderous roar before he rushed her again. She quickly dodged, allowing the Giras to fly past her, nearly bowling through his own men. His anger towards Androids was just, but there was no reason to endanger the others for his own hateful obsession.

The Resistance would never choose her over their own—over actual people. 3 was nowhere near as useful after Bulma clipped her wings. A choice she wanted for herself. To be as close to human as humanly possible.

"Stop," she ordered, raising her hands up, showing she meant to do no harm. Aoi rounded on her, snarling still. "I will go as your prisoner. Take me to Bulma and plead your case. I offered Gohan the chance to destroy me...if you wish, I will comply with these same demands." She dropped her hands, hardening her glare against Aoi to show her more menacing side. "But I will not allow you to take me down just so you can hurt these people!"

The draconic warrior laughed, his leathery wings giving another swing. "As if you care what's best for these people. You're just a machine, who cares about nothing but death and destruction!"

"I care about the people here," 3 stated, her tone rising at Aoi questioning her loyalties. "I am more than willing to be executed on their behalf if that would fix even a fraction of the wrongs that I have done! You would start a war with these people—with your own kin, just because you think you can lead better than Bulma could?"

"She has an _ANDROID_ walking around among her people!"

"And the only one of us who has put any of these people in danger today is _you_!"

Aoi took a step back after the Android's sudden outburst, from the fearsome scowl she wore on her ordinarily stoic face. The momentary look of fear across his face gave Android 3 paused. She didn't even realize how...angry she had become. She had never gotten angry before. Why now?

Her momentary pause gave Aoi an opening to attack—one she barely noticed. Unfortunately for Android 3, Aoi had shot out a long, gooey log of purple substance that slammed into the unsuspecting Android, encasing her body, arms, and legs with the stuff. The Merry-Go-Round Gum stuck to her clothes and body, pinning her completely.

Aoi came crashing against Android 3, sending her flying back before she could comprehend what had happened. Right before she could bounce off of the ground once, Aoi was there, kicking her further ahead, while sending her up higher into the air. 3 felt the second blow nearly break her in half. As she traveled skyward, Aoi appeared in the line of her path. The Giras spun around and drove his elbow straight into Android 3's spine once again, sending her down straight into the ground. She crashed down hard, close enough to startle a small Resistance patrol nearby. Aoi came down on 3, prompting one of the patrol to radio the Overseer while the others rushed to investigate. While pinned under the titanic warrior, 3 was helpless as the beast began pummeling her head in with his massive fists.

"Stand down!" one soldier shouted as he ran onto the scene, rifle raised and aimed. Two others had rifles, and one was equipped with a blaster. Aoi stopped his assault, turning his snarling scowl to the soldiers. He gave pause to his assault once he realized that the soldiers were aimed ready to shoot at him.

"Don't you fools realize she's an Android?!" Two of the soldiers gave uneasy glances, but didn't lower their weapons. Aoi realized in that moment that the Android wasn't lying. The Resistance knew, and they didn't care. "You damn idiots...she's going to kill you all!"

"Stand. DOWN!"

Aoi shook his head with disgust. They couldn't see the danger they were all in. If he had to, he would make them see that he was right. He charged the Resistance soldiers, roaring in blind fury. The patrol barely had time to panic, let alone fire as Aoi charged them all. He pulled his fist back, ready to take down the soldiers all at once. Unfortunately for him, his arm never found its target, as something was holding him back. Aoi turned, staring up at the eyes of another Android—Android 8, who had Aoi's arm locked in place.

"Wh-what the?!"

"You will not hurt my friends!" Android 8 shouted.

Aoi roared furiously in Eighter's face, but was quickly silenced when the Android slammed his fist into the warrior's jaw once, twice, three times before Aoi finally fell to his knee, blood running out from the corner of his mouth. Eighter locked his grip around Aoi's arm, then pulled him back. The massive warrior was lifted off of his feet by the Android, who spun him around before letting him go. Aoi was sent flying, before he quickly rebounded off of the ground, pushing himself off with one hand while using his wings to help lift himself off the ground.

Once he found his footing, Aoi rushed Eighter at full speed. The heavyweight Android met Aoi's charge with a savage head-butt. The Giras' skull withstood the impact, allowing his single eye to meet Eighter's. The two fighters were even in strength, size, and weight, making for a difficult battle for the both of them. Aoi tried to attack with a powerful punch to the jaw, but Eighter grabbed the attack in mid-flight. He retaliated with a similar attack, which Aoi stopped too. The two brutes glared at each other, neither capable of overpowering the other in their intense standoff.

Aoi broke Eighter's focus with a devastating knee to the stomach. The attack caught Eighter by surprise, causing him to loosen his grip as he doubled over. Aoi followed up with a brutal uppercut that sent Eighter stumbling back. The Giras chieftains snarled viciously as he seemed to finally gain an edge, quickly moving to press the advantage. He quickly stopped, once he heard the sound of several more rifles cocking, and laser blasters charging up.

Aoi looked around, realizing that he was surrounded by a group of attack drones and hunter drones. He could take them, but it was their reinforcements—a few extra dozen robots, and even more Resistance soldiers, along with Bulma, that gave him pause. The majority of Aoi's own faction had arrived as well. All but the handful he picked himself to accompany him—his most trusted subordinates—were confused.

Bulma was the one to step forward first, eyes sharp enough to stab through Aoi's thick hide. "I'm not expert on Giras customs, but most guests would be _grateful_ to have refuge in a place like this, not attack us from the inside!"

Aoi laughed and shook his head at the foolish woman. "From the inside?! You have two Androids waltzing about, and you're worried about _me_?!"

"You're the only one I see attacking," Bulma replied. Aoi snarled before he turned to his men. They were all warriors, elites, capable of the same potential as the Heroes of Earth. Why couldn't the Resistance see their potential for greatness? The potential that King Chappa died to preserve. "You can stand down now, and I won't kick you and your men out. If you're really lucky, I might not even throw you behind bars."

"Try it," Aoi snarled. Bulma narrowed her eyes, ready to accept the arrogant Giras' challenge.

"Don't!" Aoi and Bulma looked back, seeing the beaten Android 3 standing up, her body still bound by the Merry-Go-Round Gum. Despite the beaten, bloodied look on her face, 3 remained perfectly stoic. She looked down and fired a pair of lasers from her eyes that cut through the sticky gum like hot butter. Aoi and his men were all petrified to see how easily she escaped from their leader's ultimate technique, especially after such a beating.

Android 3 slowly walked forward, stepping around a baffled, terrified Aoi. She ignored him entirely as she made her way towards Bulma. 3 turned around, standing between Aoi and the Resistance. "According to my scanners, the strategic value of you and your men is higher than my life. Android 8 is innocent of any crimes against humanity, and his service record in the Resistance will prove that. I am the only one guilty of..." Her stare held for a moment, but the thought of her past—what her programming and what Android 9 forced her to do... "I can never be fully absolved of what I've done, and I accept that. My position in the Resistance is not to destroy them, but to pay my penance for my crimes against them—against everyone. I will not be the cause of internal strife between any survivors of the Red Ribbon Army's ambitions."

She looked at Aoi's men. They were all exhausted, tired, scared. They didn't want to fight—not against their own, not for Aoi's ambitions. "Your family," 3 continued, moving her eyes back up to Aoi. "Your survivors...do you want to put them through another war?" Aoi's resolve wavered from the question. "I do not. I want no more innocent blood to be spilled because of me. If it means peace, and your compliance within the Resistance, then you may claim my life, Chieftain."

"Wh-what?!"

Bulma's shoulders sagged a bit, but she smiled at 3's determination. She was going to have to talk with 3 about what a martyr-complex was later. "Android 3 fought against other Androids that threatened the refugees in the southern mountains. She nearly died to protect them. And as far as her powers go...well, she's not going to be blowing up cities any time soon. She's enhanced, but not destructive."

Aoi was left speechless. He never expected 3's proposal about just lying down to die had any merit, let alone everything Bulma had just explained. "She...you...limited her?"

"By her own choosing, yes," Bulma said. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Aoi looked at 3 once again. She wasn't threatening, or menacing. She almost looked...human. "She just wants a chance to live, not destroy. She's willing to risk her life for us, and she's proven that several times over. Whether you like it or not, she's apart of the Resistance."

The reality of the situation soon hit Aoi and the men who stood with him to attack Android 3. She could have killed them any time she wanted. Her earlier defeat of Aoi, and easily escaping the Merry-Go-Round Gum proved that much. Regardless of how she claimed Aoi and his men held more value, each man knew the true danger in facing an Android. Especially with a half-cocked plan.

Aoi looked back at his men. They looked to him for what to do next. They followed him so readily after Chappa's sacrifice. They trusted him. Their king trusted Aoi with their safety. They were safe with the Resistance, and his leadership risked that safety, that trust. It put King Chappa's followers in danger, when he had no knowledge of how things were in the Resistance.

And now the major threat as he saw it was offering herself to him without a fight. She could have killed him so many times over already, and she would readily allow herself to be destroyed, and for what? To prove a point? Even if he did destroy her, the Resistance made their stance clear. They would not abandon one of their own. And Aoi would be damning himself and his followers to

Aoi stepped forward and stopped short in front of 3. He looked down at her, and then slowly bowed his head, as a sign of respect. Android 3 was rather flustered by the act from someone who wanted to kill her moments earlier. "I...apologize. We...I, should have given you a chance. If the entirety of the Resistance stands with you...then that's good enough for me." Aoi raised his head up and turned to Bulma. "My men will not be held responsible for my actions. Their actions were because of me."

"Is this your way of saying you surrender?" Aoi grumbled at Bulma's phrasing, but gave a reluctant nod. "I humbly accept. We welcome you and your men into the Resistance, again. I say we all get along from now on."

"Agreed," 3 said. "Overseer, if I may make a suggestion?"

"What is it, 3?"

"Despite his brash behavior, Aoi was made leader of his people. I believe offering him a position of leadership among the Resistance would increase the Resistance's overall effectiveness."

Bulma moved her eyes to Aoi with a smile. "Well...that sounds fair. Everyone has to make sure to pull their weight after all." She thought for a moment about how to best utilize a group of enhanced fighters. "Aoi, you and the other Giras can build structures from the Merry-Go-Round Gum, right?"

The Chieftain was rather surprised that Bulma knew so much about his people. "I-I...yes of course. Defensive structures, barriers, whatever you need."

"Then your people can help with reinforcing our defenses. We've got drones working on the Iron Line, but I'm sure you and your people can make more than a few modifications."

A hint of a smile pulled at Aoi's lips. He was still too remorseful, too ashamed of his actions. "Of course. Leave it to us."

Aoi turned and left, his men following him. There would be some in the Resistance who were still distrustful after seeing how the Giras leader so readily attacked their own. Bulma couldn't fault him for his ignorance on the subject. Aoi wasn't the first, and he likely wasn't the last person to doubt the intentions of an Android ally. But he seemed easy enough to persuade at least. Aoi knew now that, like Android 3, he was going to have to work to regain the full trust and support of the Resistance.

* * *

The ground shattered like glass under Cell's tail, as the incomplete monster scowled at Cooler. A simple fluke, that was how Cooler got the drop on him. That combined with the other rising nuisances were beginning to wear on Cell's last nerve.

"I appreciate the effort, no matter how late, but I'm sick of you insects standing in my way." Cell stood up straight, towering over the shorter warrior. The Bio-Android grinned, staring down at the unflinching Cooler. "You see, I've changed since you've last encountered me. I'm more powerful, and I'm on my way to perfection, SO GET OUT OF MY—,"

Cooler silenced Cell with a sudden, savage fist to the jaw. The blow nearly twisted Cell's head around as he stumbled back in circles before falling down into the crater again. He tumbled and rolled down into the bottom of the hole, as Cooler jumped in to follow. Cell came to a stop in the center of the crater. Cooler slid along the sides until he came to a stop just across from Cell. The once proud monster looked up at his foe with disbelief etched onto his face.

The first time was a fluke. Second time was anything but an accident.

"This...this can't be..."

Trunks stood at the top of the crater, staring down at the standoff below. It took everything they had—Gohan, the Androids, Dore, Neiz, and Trunks himself, to force Cell to give just an inch of ground. Cooler was driving him back with only one blow at a time. The demi-Saiyan fixed his eyes below, before he turned to the new power he sensed.

Salza arrived, landing next to Dore. The brute was fading in and out of consciousness, but was somehow coherent enough to start chewing once Salza dropped a Senzu Bean into the fighter's mouth. "Well, well, looks like zhe lot of you have been busy." Cooler's lieutenant looked up at Trunks with a smile on his face. He nodded to the boy, "Congratulations on zhe transformation."

"Glad to see you're still alive," Trunks replied. Salza laughed as he stood up.

"Maybe we've been gone longer zhan I zhought. You sound like you're happy to see me." Salza approached Trunks, dropping the boy a bean, undoubtedly for Gohan. Dore groaned as he awoke, pushing himself off of the ground. Salza turned to his cohort with a smirk on his face. "You look like shit."

"Y-you take a swing at that green bastard..." Dore coughed a bit, spitting out spitefully. "Then we'll see how good you look, pretty boy."

Salza laughed at the old nickname Dore gave him so long ago. "Lord Cooler will take care of zhe menace."

"Is he going to keep his promise?" Salza and Dore looked to Trunks, meeting the Super Saiyan's fierce glare. "Will Gohan and I get a chance to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, or is your master going to destroy the planet?"

Salza honestly didn't know. His delayed answer was unsatisfactory to Trunks, who immediately jumped down into the crater. Salza and Dore both gawked at the rather bold move as the Super Saiyan disappeared from sight.

"COOLER!" The monarch turned to look back over his shoulder, spotting the young, newly christened Super Saiyan descending behind him. "Are you going to keep to your end of Gohan's bargain?"

"This is hardly the time or the place for—,"

"Answer me!"

For the first time since his arrival, Cooler's stoic face broke into a fierce snarl. "Watch your tongue, brat! You will not address me in that—," Without looking, Cooler raised his hand up to capture Cell's flying fist, aimed for the tyrant's jaw while he was distracted. "TONE!" Cooler finished his sentence by bringing his head forward, smashing it against Cell's fat lips. The monster cried out as he fell backwards, purple blood oozing between his fingers as he covered his mouth.

Cooler turned his hate-filled stare back down to Cell, leaving his back to Trunks. Neither Cell nor Trunks stood a shadow of a chance against his new power, but Cooler was Arcosian Royalty. He was a noble of honor.

"I came to this planet to destroy the legendary Super Saiyan, not stomp out some disgusting insect. You and your mentor will have your time, as I promised. Your planet will be spared until I have the Super Saiyan dead at my feet." Cooler chuckled cruelly as he looked back at Trunks. "Well, until I have both of them now I suppose. Killing you two as you are wouldn't be worth my time."

"So what about Cell?"

Cooler laughed a bit more. He turned around as Cell stood up, blood dripping from his chin as he scowled at the monarch. "Trash is trash. He'll be dead long before you two return."

"What in the hell are you two talking abou—,"

Cell's shouting was quieted once again when Cooler drove his knee suddenly into Bio-Android's abdomen. As Cell doubled over, Cooler caught him by the face, tightening his grip around the creature's face. He held the monster there for a moment before addressing Trunks one final time. "Do not waste my time! Collect your mentor and go!" Cooler spun around and threw Cell like a stone, high into the air, over the frigid ocean waters to the north. Without delay, he blasted off skyward to pursue his target.

Trunks had his answer. For whatever good Cooler's word was worth, Trunks believe him. Despite being related, Cooler was cut from a different cloth than Frieza or their father. Gohan trusted the monarch well enough. Trunks was going to do the same.

Cooler crashed into Cell with a shattering elbow to his jaw. He continued by swinging his arm upward, striking Cell's throat, lifting the larger creature up with just his forearm. Cooler pushed against the Bio-Android, sending him in the opposite direction. But the monarch wasn't through with him just yet. Cooler grabbed Cell's tail and pulled him back, driving his elbow into the incomplete being's center, sending him into the watery depths below. Cooler then moved towards the waters, so quickly he vanished from sight.

Cell came bursting from the waters, screaming in anger as he attempted to charge Cooler. No sooner than his head came out of the water did Cell get thrown further away from the mainland by Cooler, who waited just above the water specifically to kick the arrogant monster's head. Cell quickly turned around as Cooler chased him. At the last moment, the king disappeared, leaving Cell baffled. He was so quick to turn that Cell didn't notice the large tidal wave until it came crashing down behind him, dragging him down into the sea once again. Cooler narrowed his eyes, sharpening his senses to pick up Cell's energy signature tumbling around the currents. Once he locked on, Cooler dove straight down into the waters below.

He crashed into Cell again, pushing him deeper into the rocky surface of the ocean floor. Cell tried to stand, but Cooler dropped on him like a steel anvil released from orbit. Air bubbled out of Cell's mouth as he cried out in pain. Cooler turned his head as Cell's tail came striking towards his backside. He turned just enough to avoid the stinger, then grabbed the tail firmly. In one swift motion, he twisted and flipped Cell out from under his feet, over his shoulder, and then right back into the same spot as before. Cell gave Cooler one last spiteful look, before the stoic monarch unleashed a storm of punches that caused the sea floor to shake and rumble with rising intensity. The stone floor began to crack and splinter, reaching out further and further as the number of blows began to increase. Cooler stopped his barrage for a few more harder, more solid punches that reached deeper below the ocean floor, before he lifted Cell up by the throat. The once unstoppable monster dangled limply in Cooler's grasp. The monarch held no desire in pummeling such a weak opponent into submission. He pulled his arm back, and with all of his might he threw Cell against the currents.

Dore gawked in awe while Salza just gave a humorless sigh as they both watched the ocean violently stir and erupt thanks to the unseen battle below. Salza could sense perfectly that Cooler had the upper hand, but poor Dore was clueless. And behind the both of them, Trunks hovered in the air, watching the same battle. There was no doubt in his mind that Cooler was no the undisputed champion in this fight.

"Come, Dore," Salza said, lightly slapping his compatriot's arm. "We need to get Neiz back up on his feet so he can witness zhis as well."

Dore nodded, but he didn't seem to want to take his eyes off of the battle. "Y-yeah...right..."

Trunks watched the battle a bit longer after Salza and Dore had left. He had to go find Gohan, quickly. It proved to be a short search as he quickly spotted Android 16 carrying Gohan over his shoulder. "Gohan!" Trunks dropped down in front of both fighters, quickly holding out the Senzu Bean. Gohan was just coherent enough to chew once Trunks put the magical bean in his mouth. "Thank you, 16."

"I must be dead," Gohan said, with a renewed life in his voice. "It sounded like you thanked 16 here."

"He did indeed," 16 amended, a gentle smile on his face for Trunks. It was a small sign of respect, but it did not go unnoticed.

"Wait...Trunks! Your hair!"

The young Saiyan smiled as his mentor noticed his transformation. "Save it, Cooler says we can have our time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"W-wait, Cooler is—,"

"Kicking Cell's ass, so we've got to hurry. He said he won't wait forever."

Gohan took a moment to admire Trunks' development, but only a moment. The boy was right. Gohan could sense Cooler's overwhelming power next to Cell's. It was exciting to sense how powerful he had become. It just meant Gohan was going to have to surpass that power.

"Alright, let's go Trunks. 16, are you—,"

"I will find 17 and the others," he replied. "We will escape while we can." Gohan wanted to warn 16, but the Android was gone before he could voice his concerns.

"Gohan, do you want to go after them?"

The obvious answer was yes. The Androids were still Cooler's enemies when he went into the Time Chamber. They were at risk as long as he was around. But there were still two more fighters around who had Cooler's ear, who could also vouch for the Androids. It wasn't much, but perhaps Dore and Neiz would make a case for the Androids. The both of them owed their allies that much.

"We've gotta go, Trunks," Gohan said. "16 and the others can take care of themselves..."

Trunks heard the uncertainty in Gohan's voice, but said nothing as he followed his mentor towards the Lookout. They both had to put their faith in 16, and the other Androids for now. As long as Cell was destroyed, then half of their problems would be dealt with.

* * *

Cell was being pushed back faster than he could keep up. 17 woke up just in time to see Cell get his ass knocked into the ocean by none other than Cooler, and the beat down didn't stop since. 17 couldn't believe what he was seeing when he first woke up. Now it was a pain just to keep his eyes on the battle, which took him to a frozen archipelago a few miles out from the mainland. Cooler nose-dived, dragging Cell down by the throat as he slammed the monster deep into the frozen ground.

17 watched from the safety of a small island not too far from the one Cooler and Cell stood their ground. 17's island offered rocks and a few shrubs, covered in snow and frost, to keep himself hidden. Last time he saw Cooler, the tyrant had filled 17 will holes. Now he was back and beating up Cell like he was nothing. But one way or another, 17 was going to see Cell die with his own eyes. He owed that much to Lazuli.

* * *

Cell pulled himself to his feet as Cooler walked towards him calmly. "This...this isn't possible. How...how did you get so strong?!"

"If you live long enough, maybe I'll tell you." Cooler vanished in an instant, reappearing the next standing just in front of an astonished Cell. "But I wouldn't bet on that." He sent the Bio-Android flying with a solid punch. Cell broke through four frozen rock formations before he brought himself to a stop. "If you concede, I'll give you a painless death. It's more than you deserve frankly, but I'm in an uncharacteristically good mood for the first time since I arrived on this miserable dirtball."

"You..." Cell's veins bulged out from his bio-armor, eyes bloodshot from rage. "You...arrogant BASTARD!" Cell's aura exploded to life, burning with a much greater intensity. "I know your people's limits! I have the DNA of your father, and your brother! They were the strongest of your race! AND I HAVE BOTH! You are NOTHING!"

Cooler's features became more pressed. His good mood was gone the instant his family was brought up again. "They were powerful, yes. And at one point, they may have been the strongest in the universe, but no longer. My brother never trained a day in his life. He never mastered our people's full potential! You think you're the greatest because of them?! Fool. ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU THE TRUTH!"

Cooler unleashed his power and his anger with a cry that reached the heavens. His blue aura came blazing to life, exploding upon the power's release. The force was enough to sweep the island clean of the snow and frost that covered it. The frozen flakes were thrown to the side, or up in the air, where they began to gently sprinkle down once again. The flakes that descended close to Cooler were evaporated instantly from the heat of his power.

* * *

Miles from the shore, the dark ocean's surface burst upward with sudden force. Nimu's half-body floated shakily in the air, his one arm struggling to hold up Nico's motionless form. "D-damn it..." She looked back towards the bright power in the distance. It burned like a star, darkening everything around it. Nimu's scanners couldn't read a power level as large as Cell's, but the Android had enough common sense to tell the new power was even larger—more incomprehensible than Cell's.

But that couldn't be his concern. The powers at play were above and beyond Nimu's realm of usefulness. Even if he could find 17, there was no way he could make the rebellious Android listen to reason. All Nimu could do was try to save Nico.

He was lucky enough that Cell didn't do any further damage. The monster's previous form was enough to tear Nimu literally in half. He didn't want to imagine what a single blow from his second form would do. "Stay with me, Nico..." Nimu turned and made the slow flight back toward the mainland. The only person who could help save himself or Nico was the Overseer.

* * *

Once his power reached its peak, there was a violent burst from Cooler's aura that wiped the ground clean of any frost or snow. Around Cooler's feet, the earth itself tore away from his incredible power. Cell could feel every bit of Cooler's strength. He didn't forget about Cooler's transformation either. But he was still only in his Fourth Form, and already outclassed Cell before his max power. Transforming would just be overkill.

"Th-this...this can't be!"

Cooler flared his nostrils as his eyes narrowed on Cell. "Well now...shall we begin round two?"

* * *

 **Well, I didn't do as much editing as I would have liked (still quite a bit of editing involved, of course) but hey, I didn't want to sit on this chapter any longer. Also, SURPRISE! Story update. But obviously you knew that already.**

 **I know this chapter is kinda...back and forth, but that's probably because I clung to my previous characters before getting ready to pass the torch to Cooler again. Now, unfortunately, I gave the characters multiple side-stories to explore next chapter (Gohan and Trunks entering the Time Chamber, Nico and Nimu trying to survive, 16 looking for 17, 17 himself, and of course Cooler's rematch with Cell) so the next chapter might be...a bit here and there too. I don't think many of you would mind on this chapter, because Android 3 is still doing good.**

 **And thanks to a new idea I had for the "Cell Games" in this story, I'll be giving the Resistance one last 'hurrah' before the story ends. So Aoi and those guys 3 busted her butt to keep in line? They'll be important to the Resistance later on.**

 **Agh, I share too much in these things. Anyway, next chapter is gonna be fun. Or it's going to be awful and scattered all over the place. But I'll do my best during editing to control that a bit. Most of the focus will obviously be on the fighting, and the developments that happen there (*coughcoughwatchout17cough*)**

 **As always, thank you dear reader for getting this far. If you like, reviews help feed my addiction to this writing gig, so feel free to leave one or more of those. See you all next time!**

 **Oh, also, we are getting really close to the end. About...chapter 21 or 22, give or take, will be the finale of this story. The finish line for me is almost within sight guys ._.**


	15. Chapter 15: Meant to Be

Hercule grew increasingly more frustrated as the lesson dragged on. Popo was trying to help the newly pledged Guardian with focus, but all Hercule could sense was the clashing powers of Cooler against Cell. And of all things, Popo wanted Hercule to ignore the battle that would decide the planet's future. How could anyone focus on anything other than a power that could literally break the planet?

The former champion finally gave in with a frustrated cry. Mister Popo turned in alarm at Hercule's outburst. "This is a waste of time! How does this help ANYONE?!"

"You can't help the Earth unless you understand it. To understand, you must practice, study."

"And what good will that do if those two monsters destroy the planet in the meantime?!"

"Then it's inconsequential," Popo said. Hercule found himself without anything to respond with. "I know it's frustrating, but there is nothing we can do to stop this. We only hope for the best."

"But how does that—,"

Hercule stopped himself when he felt two familiar powers approach, before Gohan and Trunks appeared on the Lookout. He was so blinded by the titantic battle below that he nearly missed the energy signatures of Earth's only remaining heroes. Just seeing the both of them in the flesh filled Hercule with hope, and some measure of relief.

"Hey Hercule! Glad to see that Guardian thing finally panned out for you." The champ's face drooped a bit. Gohan's young, newly christened Super Saiyan ward looked as confused, if not more so, than Hercule himself. "C'mon Trunks, we don't want to keep Cooler waiting a minute longer than he has to!" The older Saiyan ran off with an enthusiastic spring in his step. Trunks, like Hercule, took a moment to process Gohan's statement.

"He...knew?"

Popo simply smiled at Trunks' disbelief. Gohan was the first one to know that Hercule rediscovered the Lookout after Kami's passing. "Perhaps Gohan is just a good judge of character." The young Super Saiyan gave the caretaker a sideways glance before he moved to catch up with Gohan. Popo turned back to Hercule, but said nothing.

There was a look of understanding on the new Guardian's face. He sighed before sitting back down to focus on his concentration. Gohan had faith. Gohan figured it out before anyway, and he carried that thought all the way through with nothing but a little faith in the champ. Hercule wasn't going to let Earth's hero down, not as her Guardian. It was finally time for the World Champion to carry his weight.

* * *

In the icy north, a frozen rock formation was shattered under the speed and force of Cell's body crashing through it. The giant Bio-Android pulled himself around, spinning through the air before coming to a stop. He saw Cooler floating towards him, slowly. No sense of urgency, or effort. Cell was losing miserably, and Cooler wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Pathetic. You have the arsenal of a dozen warriors, and you can't even put up a decent fight."

Of course. Cell was so blinded by his own ambition and his new power that he forgot to make use of his maker-given abilities. He smiled viciously at Cooler, prompting the king to slow himself to a stop. "Oh, I must thank you for that wonderful bit of advice."

"Be sure you make it count," Cooler snapped. In an instant, the king vanished. Cell was quickly surrounded himself with a purple energy barrier as he blitzed forward. Cooler collided against the Nova Strike, straining against the sheer force and pressure. Cell's smile widened to a wicked grin as he finally seemed to be gaining ground again, or at least enough to slow Cooler down.

The green menace reached forward, his hands quickly shooting through the barrier to grab Cooler by his neck. Cell cackled as he finally laid hands on his foe, squeezing down as hard as he could to choke the life out of the all power fighter. Cooler recognized the attack Cell was aiming for, quickly raising his knee up to intercept Cell's full-body swing towards him. Cell's attack was blocked, which brought out that look of utter contempt on his face again. Next, the king broke Cell's grip on his neck, pushing both arms back before he grabbed the Bio-Android's throat. Cooler was faster than Cell, mimicking Nudoru's Gut Buster strike better than Cell did, with three times as much force. The attack struck home, nearly breaking a hole through Cell's body as he doubled over, coughing out a mouthful of purple blood.

Cooler twisted around, striking his elbow across Cell's jaw. The stunned monster crashed into the ground, tearing through frozen dirt and rock until finally coming to a stop. Cooler planted his feet back on the ground shortly after, a fair distance away. "Disappointing."

Cell turned, swinging his arm out to the side, flinging a bright pink, crescent-shaped energy blade at Cooler. The monarch raised his arm swiftly, a purple blade of energy wrapped around his arm, tearing through General Piko's signature Moon Scythe. The blood vessels in Cell's eyes nearly burst with rage as Cooler deactivated the Salza Blade from around his arm.

"You're pathetic."

Cooler rushed Cell while he was still angry, laying into him with a relentless storm of punches and kicks that pushed him across the battlefield. Neiz and Dore cheered and shouted as their master beat the ever living hell out of the monster that caused them so much grief.

"Take that you ugly son of a bitch!"

Neiz cackled, swinging his fists eagerly in the air, "Haha! Lord Cooler is unstoppable!" The red skinned reptile looked up at Salza, standing on elevated ground to observe the fight from a better vantage point. There was a seriousness on Salza's face, something that did not inspire confidence in Neiz. "Hey, stop looking so pissed! This is good you know?"

Salza wrinkled his nose in response to Neiz's shouting. Cooler could easily destroy Cell. Why goad him further? Did he truly intend to play with Cell until the Saiyans were done in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?

Entertainment value aside, Cooler of all people should know how dangerous it was to leave something like Cell alive. The Saiyans of Earth, they had honor. Cell had no such value. Leaving a dangerous opponent alive was a fool's choice. Salza was just more uncomfortable admitting his king was a fool than anything. Certainly Cooler had some sort of plan in mind.

Cell went back screaming as Cooler kicked him across the island. Even with a path of destruction leading straight to him, 17 still couldn't see where the monster was. 'Monster' was a fairly relative term though, given Cooler's power. 17 wondered more than once already if Cooler had simply been holding back during their fight. Given how he still held back against Cell, the idea was highly unlikely.

The Goon Squad followed after their boss when he followed Cell. 17 stayed back for a moment before following them. He didn't trust any of the aliens as far as he could throw them, figuratively speaking. He almost wished Gohan were still around. A rather ironic twist, since 17 spent most of Gohan's life trying to kill him.

Something grabbed 17's shoulder. He turned around sharply and socked 16 in the jaw. The taller Android's head tilted under the blow, but he suffered no damage, nor pain. "Shit! 16 you can't just sneak up on me like that!"

"You need to leave." 16's grave expression nearly caused 17 to agree, but he was too stubborn to listen to what anyone else had to tell him.

"I can't! That bastard took my sister from me!"

"If you do not wish to meet the same fate, then we must go _NOW_."

"Look, I don't expect you to understand! But even if Cooler kills me when he's done, nothing is going to stop me from watching that big green bastard die! Now let me go, before I start drawing a _lot_ of attention this way!" 16 relented as 17 pulled himself free, and pursued the war that was being waged.

Maybe he was worrying about nothing. Cooler's strength was more than enough to destroy Cell's, and the monarch was offering his foe no quarter. But then why drag it out? Cell was still a danger, a threat to them all, and Cooler was not known for his mercy. It worried 16 to consider the dangers of allowing 17 to stay so close to Cell, if only for his own personal satisfaction.

He considered destroying 17. The last suvivor of the Devil's Pair wouldn't stand a chance against 16. Killing him would stop Cell's evolution in its tracks. With no more latent potential, no more victims to boost Cell's power dramatically, there definitely would be no reason for a battle hardened warrior to keep a weaker opponent alive, just for a glorified punching bag. Cooler wanted to test Cell's skills, not just his power. But if Cell managed to trick or convince Cooler to hunt down 17...

It wasn't a decision that 16 reached easily, but it was the best choice for Earth. He had to complete their original mission. He had to destroy Android 17.

* * *

Nimu finally landed on the shore, falling to his knees under the strain his mangled body was put through. The ocean waves slammed into the shore with greater intensity than before. Cooler's battle with Cell was unsettling the sea. If the waves continued to rise in intensity, they would get washed away before Nimu could recharge what little energy he had left to spare. He couldn't become 'drained,' not the way humans became physically exhausted. If his power cells were depleted or destroyed, he would need to recharge or replace them. Even though Nimu was equipped with a generator that recycled energy constantly, the damage he received from Cell threw his body's calibrations out of whack. If Nimu let his energy reserves run out completely, he would be forced to power off until someone or something reactivated him. But he had to get Nico back to the Overseer. She was the only one who could get Nico back online and repaired.

While his body recharged, Nimu's conscious mind thought only of Cell. The dreadful, predatory appearance of his Imperfect Form. The desperate, starving monster that nearly ripped Nimu in half. The grotesque creature that absorbed 18, and transformed into a towering monster that almost punched a hole clean through Nico's stomach just to flaunt his terrible strength.

What would drive Gero to create something so horrible?

With a flock of Androids all dedicated to killing Goku, with more than enough power to destroy humanity, what purpose could Cell serve? What dark pit did Gero's madness take him to that he had any desire to create a monster that had to feed on other, living people. 17 and 18 were created specifically for Cell's evolution, or Cell was created with 17 and 18 in mind. Either way, Gero's twisted ambitions drove him to take innocent lives, lives of his fellow humans, for some godforsaken monster. What in the world did Goku do that drove Gero to such dark, hated depths?

It was more than Cell's power and potential that were frightening. It was in his design to feed, to kill. He was programmed to hate, just like the rest of Gero's creations.

It was the good people, people like Nico and the Overseer that kept Nimu from ending up another hateful, cold killing machine. The life he had was forfeit to those who granted it to him.

Suddenly, he turned back on, light and life filling the empty darkness that had taken him. It was brief, but Nimu felt fear. He awoke to the images of Cell tearing him in half, playing across his mind as flashes. It took less time than that for Nimu to rationalize his fear away, once he was woken up.

Nico still laid on the ground, motionless, lifeless. Seeing her on the cold, wet ground was more unbearable for Nimu than it was getting his arm torn off. "Ten minutes," he said aloud. He blacked out for ten minutes to recharge. It would be more than enough to get him back, as long as he took things slow.

Nimu lifted his partner up with some difficulty. He threw her over his good shoulder, making sure his grip on her was tight, and that Nico was secure on his shoulder. Nimu moved forward, dashing and hopping over a few small rock formations in his way.

* * *

The thunderous clash of blows echoed out into the void, as golden light spilled out onto the empty whiteness that surrounded the sparring partners. Trunks pulled himself back, dodging each of Gohan's lighting-swift strikes. He finally countered after stopping Gohan's sweeping kick aimed at his midsection, blocking the attack and leaving Gohan wide open. Trunks fired a blast straight for Gohan's head. The older Saiyan pulled back and circled around behind Trunks, grabbing the boy in a headlock. Trunks struggled, but quickly changed tactics as he began viciously elbowing Gohan in the stomach. He endured the first two blows, but before the third one could land, Gohan blocked it with his hand.

"Got you!" Gohan quickly hooked his other arm around Trunks', securing the boy once again. Trunks screamed as he pulled and wrestled in Gohan's grip, but the angry youth was unable to break his mentor's hold. "Alright Trunks, let's call it—,"

The boy's aura violently erupted against Gohan, threatening to break his hold on Trunks. Gohan could scarcely believe how high Trunks' power level spiked, and so suddenly. When he pulled against Gohan's hold, Trunks broke free. He turned around, eyes burning and filled with emerald anger. The boy's fist crashed across Gohan's jaw, sending the older Super Saiyan crashing against the empty floor.

"Trunks! Stop!"

Trunks nearly dropped when he saw Gohan on the ground. There was blood on his knuckles. He was more stunned by his outburst than he was from striking Gohan. "I...I'm sorry I..." Trunks' hair fell back down and changed to its original lavender color. "Are you okay?"

Gohan rubbed his jaw, leaning back on his other arm. "Yeah...you hit really hard when you're angry."

"I don't know what happened! I was just...frustrated and then everything just went..."

There was a smile on Gohan's face. "It's my fault. We've only been in here almost three days. I forget you're still new to this Super Saiyan thing." Gohan jumped up to his feet, then turned off his Super Saiyan as well, his black hair and dark eyes returning. "I remember when I first became a Super Saiyan. I was so...angry, but I felt so powerful. I relied on that power for so many years before I realized that power was hurting me the more I abused it. The Super Saiyan transformation, it makes you stronger, it makes us more violent because of our Saiyan nature. I was too young and angry to see that back then."

Gohan understood the boy's frustration. Trunks believed him completely. "But you don't lose control like that. So there has to be a way to control it."

"There is. It set me back awhile. I had to...I had to make sacrifices while I was training. Do you remember how I never showed you what a Super Saiyan was until you were eight?"

He smiled with Gohan. "I remember it being one of the coolest things in my life. That was six years ago..."

"I became a Super Saiyan when you were only a baby. When the Androids killed Piccolo...Tien led us for awhile. He became our leader. He even helped form the Resistance, before everyone else...well." Gohan rarely spoke of the other fighters, the other heroes. Trunks never asked. He never felt he had a right to ask Gohan. "At first, I lost my way to the anger. A lot of people died because of my mistakes. Then I started from the beginning, from before I lost my way. I had to teach myself everything I learned as a child, when Piccolo trained me. I started with the basics, I didn't let myself become a Super Saiyan if I didn't have to. I refused to fight the Androids for awhile...because I knew I couldn't beat them. That's why I'm not always the most popular person." He made sacrifices. Gohan put his bet in for the long haul, and more people died while he improved himself. Now, they were running out of road, and sacrifices were being made, risks taken, uneasy alliances forged. It was all or nothing from now on.

"So we start from the basics," Trunks said confidently. "We've barely started into our year inside this place. No Super Saiyan until I get it right."

As a teacher, and as a friend, Gohan had never been more proud of Trunks. He never faulted the boy for his compassion, or his hot-headed nature, especially given his genetics. The Time Chamber was good to help Trunks clear his head. "No Super Saiyan during sparring sessions," Gohan amended. "In our downtime, we stay in our Super Saiyan state to control that power, to make it feel more natural when we use it. I learned the hard way that becoming a Super Saiyan has its own strain on the body. It augments and enhances what you already know, our skills, senses, and capabilities. But the transformation itself doesn't make us invincible."

Gohan was never invincible. Unstoppable, but Trunks had seen firsthand how awful of a beating Gohan could take. But he never stopped fighting. "Alright. We'll do it your way." Gohan smiled, then powered up his Super Saiyan transformation. Trunks smiled and did the same.

There was a rush of adrenaline, the urge to use the fresh surge of power. It was just like Gohan had said, the power was corrupting. But Trunks resisted his Saiyan urges, letting out a long, relaxed sigh. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" Gohan made haste toward the kitchen.

Although there was so much uncertainty outside in the real world, so much more than usual, there was one thing that Trunks noticed. Gohan was smiling much more lately. Everyone was. Things were changing, but for every little bit they got better, they seemed to just get ten times worse. Trunks repressed the rising fit he felt coming on. The Androids, Cooler, and then Cell, Trunks felt liberated when he first became a Super Saiyan. He knew he was powerless against Cell, but he felt free. He wouldn't lose that feeling ever again. No matter what he faced, Trunks refused to let anyone else make him feel powerless ever again.

* * *

The ground shook as the green monster was sent crashing into the earth once again. Cooler descended, landing on a pillar of ice sticking out from the ocean waters close to shore. "I think I've sated my appetite of your wasteful talents. You've lived long enough."

Cell cried out in hopeless rage. His voice echoed across the frozen islands. "I CAN'T LOSE! I WON'T LOSE!" Cell's eyes began to change once they set on Cooler. The blue of his eyes turned into a blood red crimson. Cooler began to feel a sudden rise in Cell's power. Noteworthy, but hardly impressive. "I must attain my perfection...! I WILL FIND 17!"

Cooler's curiosity piqued amidst Cell's temper tantrum. What did Cell have to do with the Devil's Pair? "What in the world are you screaming about?"

There was a tremor in Cell's new eyes as the red faded to a lighter shade. Cooler stood in waiting, watching Cell as his anger started to wane. "I..." The tyrant was waiting for an explanation. How to explain so much so quickly? "Th-the Devil's Pair, you call them, 17 and 18. If I absorb those two, I will achieve my perfect form!" He gestured to his new and improved form. "This body, I attained it after I absorbed Android 18. She is now apart of me. And once I obtain 17, I will achieve my ultimate evolution! My power will rise beyond comprehension! I will be...perfection."

Cooler's brow pulled together as he folded his arms over his chest. He remembered the familiar words from another one of Gero's creations. Were they all as insane as the man himself?

"Come now, Cooler!" Cell continued. Cooler noted the desperation in Cell's twisted smile, and the slight waver of his voice. He was pleading, bargaining. "This new power you have, whatever it is, y-you haven't even transformed and you're still toying with me!" Cell was desperate, but he knew he couldn't keep fighting Cooler. At the rate he was going, there was no chance of him absorbing 17 with Cooler in his way. "Help me obtain my perfect form, and I will give you a challenge like no other! No Android, not even Gohan could prove a more worthy foe!"

Cooler said nothing, his scarlet eyes pinned on Cell.

In the sidelines of the fight, the Armored Squadron waited for their master's response. "He...wouldn't...would he?"

"Th-there's no way to track the Androids," Neiz said, hoping to calm Dore's concern, and his own. "And Lord Cooler is smarter than that."

Salza hoped so, but he questioned why he felt so tense. Did Cooler value his title more, or his pride as a warrior? After spending a year with him alone, Salza had better clue than either Dore or Neiz. It was a fact that grated his nerves.

Cell tightened his fists as he waited for Cooler's answer. The tyrant's dark lips pulled back into a smile. He laughed and dropped his arms at his sides. Cell nervously, slowly chuckled with the monarch, seeing his laughter as a good sign. "Do...do we have a deal then?"

"You must be dumber than you look." Cell's smile cracked. Cooler's did not. "You're a parasite. I promised the Super Saiyan—a true warrior, a duel for the right to become the strongest in the universe. My fight with him is a matter of honor, of destiny! You have proven to be a dull fighter, unworthy of my time, or of any slight of mercy you think I'm capable of!"

"What—no! You can't!" Cell felt any hope of capturing 17 slip away when Cooler's smile faded. He tried desperately to cling onto the false sense of hope he had. "I-I laid waste to Gohan, to his friends, to your men, and this isn't even my true form! I will give you the challenge you—,"

"The Super Saiyan has half of your arsenal, and three times the experience using it," Cooler stated. "Before Gero's doppleganger crashed my ship, I made sure to study each of Earth's former heroes in great detail. Gohan, in particular. The son of the 'great' Son Goku, trained by the Namekian warrior, and every other fighter in their little trope." A shudder of fear coursed through Cell's veins, causing his blood to run cold. "The universe knows that a Super Saiyan killed my family. And I, King Cooler, will be the one who kills the Super Saiyan. You? You're a speck, floating through his brief life in the infinite history of the universe."

"No! You can't!"

"Oh I can't?" Cooler turned his gaze over to his soldiers, the Armored Squadron. "Salza, search the area. If you find the last Android, kill it."

He grinned with delight. "Yes sire!" Dore and Neiz were less confident, but were just as relieved as Salza.

"NO!" The red in Cell's eyes flared back to life. "I WILL HAVE MY PERFECTION!" Cell's power rose up once again. His tall, imposing form started to grow and swell, changing into something much more hulking and menacing. Cooler tilted his head to one side, examining Cell undergoing a Monstrous Transformation. "I WILL HAVE IT! I MUST HAVE IT!"

The bio-armor shoulder grew out broad, two horns sprouting out through his skin, green blood running down the bone-spike. His head and face started to grow more elongated, two horns sprouting out from either side of his head, pulling backwards. His beak-mouth pulled forward, growing and stretching, his lips darkening, teeth becoming as sharp as daggers. The monster's upper body grew too heavy, causing Cell to hunch forward as a second, longer pair of wings sprouted out over the first set. Cell's power had stopped rising once his body settled in its new form.

Cell was more monstrous than humanoid with his latest transformation. He almost looked like Frieza, in his ugliest form had crawled inside of Cell and fused with him. Though it did make Cell a much larger target, as the Bio-Android grew another foot or two taller, not to mention much broader. Most surprising of all was Cell's reaction. Judging by the expression he wore, Cell had no idea he could push his semi-perfect evolution further.

Cooler struck fast, his fist crashing into Cell's jaw. The giant stumbled back, falling onto one knee, but he rose back up quickly and countered with an iron-hard straight punch that slammed directly into Cooler's face. He took a step back, head tilted away from Cell, who was even more surprised at how much power he had behind one punch. More shockingly, he finally landed a blow on the tyrant.

With a renewed spark, Cell charged forward, cackling right before he vanished from sight with Cooler.

It began to snow as the combatants collided again and again in an unseen war of strength and speed. Even for Salza on the ground, it was impossible for anyone to tell who was winning as one explosive burst after another echoed over the island. Parts of the ground shattered where the two fighters would meet briefly, throwing snow out from the point of impact. It was the only way Salza could keep up with them, albeit half a second too late.

The two fighters appeared high in the sky, hovering across from each other. Cell shouted as he unleashed a powerful, two-handed blast of dark crimson energy. Cooler countered, charging his attack over his head before launching a bright blue blast. Cooler's beam was smaller, but impacted with greater force than Cell's. The sky was blanketed out by the clashing beam struggle. The force of their attacks stirred the ocean below their feet, and threw apart the clouds above their heads. Cell's twisted grin spread over his face, while Cooler was straining, slowly feeding more energy into his beam.

"DIE!" Cell sent another massive surge of energy into his attack. The second wave of energy crashed through Cooler's beam. The crimson wave tore through and slammed into the monarch, washing over him entirely. There was a destructive detonation at the end of Cell's attack, where Cooler struggled against the energy wave. The horrifying monster cackled with triumph. "This...power! This will bring me one step closer to ultimate perfection!"

The smoke blew apart, cutting around a surprised Cell. Cooler survived Cell's attack, completely unscathed and safe in the heart of his purple energy barrier. He dropped his arms, and the barrier, bringing them back up to fold over his chest. "Impressive. Like Saiyans, you need to throw a tantrum to become stronger." Cell's smile disappeared, replaced by his more commonly seen scowl. "This boost is impressive. Grotesque, but certainly stronger. Is this your perfect form?" Cell needed both 17 and 18's bodies in order to evolve into absolute perfection. He simply powered up using Biwa's genetics once again. Cell's refusal to answer told Cooler all he needed to know. "No. You're just angry and desperate. So much like my little brother."

"You think I won't stop you!? Nothing will stand in my way!"

Cell charged two Death Saucers, one in each hand, and sent them flying. As soon as he threw them, he charged two more, continuing the process. By the time Cooler dodged, Cell had charged the fourth pair. Cooler dodged the second disc, and then cut through one on the third with a sharpened energy blade around his arm. Cell sneered, then quickly pulled the pieces of the shattered energy disc back towards Cooler. The fragments of energy sharpened to mimic the Energy Pincers. Cooler widened the range of his blade, swinging his arm out harder to completely wipe out the smaller attacks. The Death Saucers all continued to rotate and move around Cooler with perfect control. Reman's telekineses was second to none, even Frieza's, and it was at Cell's disposal.

"Well, perhaps you aren't as dumb as you look anymore," Cooler said, a hint of amusement as he eyed the hovering energy discs.

Cell attacked, sending the Death Saucers in towards Cooler from every possible angle. With one full-circle spin, Cooler sliced through each disc, which only multiplied the number of bladed energy projectiles. Cell laughed as he started to move the fragmented blades in rotation, keeping Cooler locked in place. He was surrounded in a tornado of broken energy shards that got smaller and smaller each spin. Cell finally clenched his hand into a fist, bringing all of the energy blades in at once. Cooler threw his raw power out in an energy barrier to deflect the blades. Dozens of small explosions rippled across the barrier as Piko's Razor Tornado burst in half. Cooler shot forward, breaking through Cell's defenses as the shield smashed against the giant monster. The monarch pushed Cell back hard, before dropping the barrier to launch himself upward, driving his knuckles straight into the monster's chin. Cell was shot up into the air, flipping back end over end, higher in the sky.

Cell looked down and fired lasers from his eyes. Cooler vanished and reappeared behind the towering monster, striking him in the back with a downward elbow. The monster dropped like an an anvil, smashing face-first into the ground. Cooler smiled from up high. "Finally, he's thinking creatively."

He had no intention of letting Cell waltz his way to a greater power. Cooler wondered if the Super Saiyan felt this way when he fought Frieza? Did the universe's most entitled brat whine and complain when someone finally challenged his title? Cooler had always hoped that he would be the one to see Frieza break down, to realize he was no longer strongest in the universe. Son Goku beat him to the punch. Cell was a poor substitute, but he whined, just like Frieza did.

Frieza's arrogance led him to his own destruction. Had the fool devoted even a fraction of the time he spent worshiping himself to some actual training, perhaps the potential Cold saw in him would have been realized. But Cooler knew that any limitation could be overcome. Frieza was no exception. And neither was he.

Cooler had finally reclaimed his title as the strongest in the universe, unmatched and undisputed. Cell was nothing more than a moment of sport. A punching bag for Cooler to let loose on at his leisure. The only contestant Cooler would take was the Super Saiyan himself. But there was nothing else Cooler could spar against until then, nothing to keep his abilities sharp. Cell wouldn't make it past the first hour, but he was sport enough for Cooler to keep around.

Cell turned skyward, glaring at Cooler from the ground. The tyrant's smile spread across his face, "Come on then, you feckless bug! Fight me!" Cell roared with fury as he dashed upward, meeting Cooler's charge halfway in an explosive impact.

* * *

Their impact in the sky caused the ground itself to vibrate under the intensity of their strength. 17 could scarcely believe the raw power Cooler and Cell threw at each other. 17 and his sister always assumed they were the strongest. They defeated Super Saiyans, heroes, warriors, fellow Androids, soldiers, armies, even the king of space himself when he first arrived. The battle between monsters made a very blatant statement to 17.

His concern, or lack thereof, fell to the Goon Squad, who followed the blue skinned alien's lead to hunt for Androids. What was Cooler thinking, sending the three weakest fighters to find 17?

Something grabbed him firmly by the mouth, and yanked him back. Another powerful arm locked around his midsection, pinning only one of his arms down. He struggled, swiftly throwing his elbow back into whoever had him. His strike landed, but the target did not budge. "Do not resist." 17 tensed up under the soft, quiet sound of 16's hushed voice. "17...I understand you're upset, but your staying here endangers your life, and the lives of everyone on this planet." Him too. 16 was going to kill him. Unlike the goons, 17 knew that 16 could easily destroy him. "I am sorry...but I will not allow you to endanger the lives of this planet for your selfish reasons. 18 is gone. It did not have to end like this."

17 saw nothing but red. He was betrayed, and alone. 16 would sooner destroy him before letting 17 witness Cell's destruction. Cooler couldn't lose his fight, but 17 was at risk because Cell was going to die sooner or later?

He had nothing else left to lose anyway. Blinded by anger and fury, 17 fired a beam of raw energy up at Cooler's direction.

16's grip nearly gave out as the blast tore through the air. "NO!"

The blast threatened to catch the tyrant off guard, and carried more than enough power to stun him. Halfway on its course, Salza appeared and swiftly backhanded the blast off course. With a frown pressed on his features, Salza retaliated with a power blast that sped towards the small chunk of land that 16 and 17 were both on. On impact, the island was gone in the resulting explosion.

16 and 17 appeared high above the resulting smoke cloud, both of them astonished by Salza's power. The lieutenant suddenly appeared in front of his target, striking the unsuspecting Android across the jaw.

Salza pressed the attack, while Cooler and Cell both watched. The monstrous Bio-Android was nearly drooling at the sight of his prey. Cooler scowled at the annoyance.

"17... _17!_ "

Cell charged blindly forward. His dash was immediately stopped with a powerful spin-kick that knocked Cell out of the sky. Cooler briefly directed his attention towards Salza. "Hurry and take him out!" The king turned and blasted downward, slamming Cell deeper into the frozen ground.

"Yeah, like you have so much room to talk," Salza muttered under his breath. "Zhis wouldn't be an issue if you would just destroy him."

17 tightened his jaw, readying for a fight. "First 16, now you..." The cocky Android felt like karma was coming back to him in full force. Though the towering 16 sat on the sidelines, he was still a present threat. Allowing Salza to try and kill him said as much. The coward just didn't want to dirty his hands. "Fine, if you wanna fight Blue-Man, then let's go!"

* * *

"That's weird..." Popo turned away from the horizon to look back at Hercule. To new Guardian was still meditating, still concentrating. "The planet feels...so off."

A smile graced Popo's lips. "Does it? You've never been Guardian before, so how could you know?"

The question gave Hercule pause. The Earth gave him the answer. "It...told me. I don't know how to explain it, but it...just doesn't feel right."

"Astounding..." Hercule's progress was unbelievable. Other Guardians had to train for decades, sometimes centuries before officially being granted the position by their predecessors. With barely anything more than some guidance, Hercule was making leaps and bounds for the handicaps he had to endure. Kami would have been proud of his successor. "The Earth must have chosen you for this specific reason. You can communicate effortlessly with the planet, and its energies."

"I imagine some of it was desperation," Hercule joked, a smile pulling the corners of his mustache up. Images flashed across his mind. Memories from the past.

He remembered being given the title World Champion at his first World Martial Arts Tournament. The crowds cheered and chanted his name. He could still feel the vibrations in the soles of his feet from the crowd's explosive cheering. There was a time when his championship was his crowning achievement in life.

When the Androids attacked, Hercule saw firsthand what threat Earth faced. He saw the faces of the planet's true champions. Instead of fighting, Hercule spent his vast fortune, resources, and skillset to protect and save as many people as he could from the Androids. But nothing lasted forever. After the fall of the heroes, the rest of humanity had no choice but to fight.

Hercule led a sizable group of survivors—his refugees, for a few years after the Earth lost its champions. They wandered the wastelands, ruins, forests, and mountains, always making their first priority to avoid the Red Ribbon Army, and their murdering machines. It wasn't long before Hercule and his group encountered the Resistance, created by the heroes, and led by their successors.

Even in the Resistance, Hercule continued to inspire and lead as best as he could. There were always losses, always casualties. Eventually, the losses became too much. Hercule became a lone operative for the Resistance, and one of the best too. Most of his job was scouting, searching for resources and supplies, sometimes even people. Launch started to trust Hercule, allowing him in her inner circle among the Resistance's top brass. He was one of the only operatives who kept coming back alive.

 _You have always led them,_ something said to him. Hercule's mind turned to Videl. She was the only one who had been with him since the beginning. Piiza, Pirozhki, Caroni, they were lost at one point or another, but not Hercule's daughter. Prior to the world's destruction, Hercule hardly made time for his family. It wasn't long after setting out into the world that Hercule found the courage to admit to his daughter that he was a lousy father.

 _'Dad...thank you, for getting us this far.'_

Videl forgave him. It was much more than he deserved at the time, but Videl saw better than he that they would need each other in the years to come. Hercule protected and raised his daughter to be a fighter, to survive the harsh, cruel realities of the new world. Videl in turn gave her father the support and reason he needed to continue on. As the years continued, their bond only grew stronger and stronger.

 _She sees greatness in you._ Hercule felt his senses expand, increasing the clarity and range of all he could see in the world. This was yet another test for Hercule to overcome. He refused to let Videl, or anyone else down.

"I think, perhaps, not at all out of desperation."

Popo's voice brought Hercule back out of his trance. He realized that barely a moment's breath had passed since his personal jab at himself. Hercule smiled at Popo gratefully, before he closed his eyes to return to his focus.

* * *

The world moved around him in a blur. Moving so quickly put a strain on Nimu's already stressed energy reserves, but if he was lucky, he could get himself and Nico inside Resistance territory before he shuts down completely. Nico's status had not changed.

Nimu vaulted off of a rock formation, and deep into the forestation he was about to cross through. He soared across the winds, slowly falling below the tree line. A branch broke his fall. If Nimu had lungs, the sudden stop would have knocked the wind out of him. Instead, he simply shot off the cracked branch like a springboard, flying through the forest like a rocket.

They were close. Once they were inside the range of the Resistance's patrols, Nimu could take things slow, conserve his energy. The closer they were to Resistance HQ, the more likely they would get picked up by a passing scout, or a patrol party. At any rate, they were far enough from Cell that he wasn't a threat.

That was, unless he achieved perfection. And if that happened, Nimu wouldn't be alive long enough to have the chance to fight back. Cell already carried more than enough power to destroy the planet, even in his Imperfect Form. Even now, Nimu was still breaking down the genetic makeup of Cell, rendering the sample stolen down to its most basic formula. Nimu was able to see how Cell's genetic structure was almost identical to that of 17 and 18's. He was made to be incomplete, and the Devil's Pair were his missing pieces. Cell quite literally was 17 and 18's unwanted, artificial half-sibling.

Nimu's mind boggled at the idea of what Cell was like now. With 18 absorbed, his body changed, one step closer to his desired perfection, turning the hungry, desperate predator into an arrogant, powerful force of destruction. It would take a minor amount of power for Nimu to run a few simulations, to mimic or copy Cell's evolution, but he couldn't waste it. Nico was his priority. Once they were safe and sound, he could run all the tests he wanted. Assuming they would still be alive.

If Cell still lived, it was because Cooler wanted it. And every moment Cell drew breath, he was a danger to the Earth, and everyone on it.

Nimu came grinding to a halt after entering a smoldering clearing in the woods. He nearly lost his footing, but calibrating his body accordingly to compensate for the sudden weight shift.

A small settlement of survivors, all wiped out. It was a large group, practically a village. The site was old, as there were only aging signs of a struggle. It wasn't an Android attack, otherwise there would be no remains left for Nimu to examine. The shelters were riddled with bullet holes, piles of rubble, debris, wreckage littered the area. Further into the community were the charred, skeletal remains of the inhabitants, or possibly their attackers.

Nimu had information on the early days after the fall of Earth's Heroes. Once the military and the world's government fell, the populace panicked. Humanity turned on each other, expecting the worst when it comes to their survival. Once they realized the Androids were worst of the worst, people started to unite and band together, like the Resistance, or the nomads in the eastern mountains. After the years went by, the infighting came down to who had the superior faction, and even then it was little more than angry bickering between the Resistance and the Furry Force.

Something activated Nimu's sensors. He turned to the site of a small forest creature scurrying out of a shattered house with an apple in its greedy paws. The rodent stared at Nimu for a moment, then disregarded him as it scurried into a nearby shrub.

" _Nimu?"_

The Android turned about quickly. Two hunter drones stood in the heart of the settlement, heads turned towards Nimu and Nico. "Shit," he muttered.

" _Nimu? Is that...Nico!?"_

He recognized the voice coming from the hunter drone. Even with superior processing speed, Nimu could hardly believe who he was hearing. "Android 3...?" The drone approached, setting down a large case of something that rattled on the ground. "You...downgraded again?"

" _Not exactly,"_ the drone replied. _"What happened to you two? What happened with..."_

"It's a long story," Nimu said. "Nico took a hard hit and—,"

" _Your damage is much more severe. You need to use this drone to keep yourself alive first."_

"Wh-what?"

The hunter drone drove its fist through its chrome chest and keeled over. Nimu was speechless as he blinked as the robot's frame hit the ground. _"Use it,"_ Android 3 said from the other drone. Nimu looked up at the second drone. Suddenly, things made sense to him. _"Your body is as irreplaceable as it is advanced. What little parts you do have you should fix and repair while you can before we continue on."_

Nimu smiled, "Logical. You're definitely 3." The young Android knelt down on the ground, tipping his shoulder down to roll Nico onto her back gently. Panels on his hand and arm opened up, shooting out cables and wires that started to move and dissect the destroyed hunter drone. Nimu looked up at the active drone while he repaired the damaged half of his body. "You've been busy. When did you upload your consciousness into the mainframe?"

" _It was Bulma's idea. My 'consciousness,' as you put it, is just programming, as you know. We both agreed that uploading myself into the Red Ribbon's main computer would ensure that there are no hidden surprises or fail-safes that Commander Red or Doctor Gero would have left for us. And while uploaded into the computer, I'm able to direct and control a select number of drones. These two scavengers noticed you enter the area, and sent an alert back to base while Bulma and I were running through our systems again._

"Fascinating. Your 'programming' seems to have evolved considerably." It was one thing for an Android such as 3 or Nimu to be intelligent enough to be classified as a super computer. It was something else entirely for one of them to upload their consciousness to the Red Ribbon Army's main computer, and control the drone network in any sort of degree. Android 3 was right in the sense that her consciousness was essentially numbers and coding, but she undersold how astonishing it was that a 'lesser' Android like herself could retain her consciousness after being uploaded into the heart of Doctor Gero's madness. "I'm guessing you did not explain the risks to yourself when talking to the Overseer?"

" _I did. But the only 'threats' on the mainframe were fragmented files of what Bulma and I had already wiped clean. So in the end, there was no real threat."_

Nimu was nearly done closing off all the broken wires and circuits in his body before the wires and cables started to work on closing the hole in his side. It would keep him stable, but he was still going to need repairs before he was fully operational again.

"Is there anything you can do for Nico?"

" _There should not be any need to, given her unique design."_

"Her—," Nimu paused for a moment, losing himself in thought. Every Android from 1 to 20 had something unique to their design. Energy absorption, alien tech, superior intelligence, no one Android was exactly the same. Nimu's own design allowed him to analyze, copy, and mimic the abilities of a fighter. Gero's original plan with Nimu was to use the abilities of the heroes against them. But now Cell had all of those talents instead. It took more than just genetics to use over half of the techniques used by Earth's former heroes. It took training, practice, discipline, and time. Nimu's design, which was undoubtedly apart of Cell, eliminated the need for any of that to achieve full mastery of a technique.

Cell's creation, the Androids, it all pieced together. Everything Gero had built, all the Androids he ever made eventually found their way into Cell. That was the monster's purpose, to bring together the best of them into one ultimate, unstoppable fighter.

"Ow..." Nimu came out of his trance, looking down. Nico blinked hard up at the sky as she miraculously came back to life on her own. "My stomach hurts..."

"N-Nico? You're alive?!"

Slowly the young girl sat up, wincing once she tried to flex her stomach. "Oww...! Was I dead?" Nico looked at her partner, recognizing the look of shock and dread on his face. "...I was just joking—I WAS DEAD?!"

"Y-you were offline," Nimu corrected. A small difference for an Android. "I was trying to get you back to the Overseer so that—,"

"What happened to the others? What happened with Cell?!"

* * *

Salza knocked 17's strike aside, countering with a sweeping kick to the Android's side. 17 blocked, and threw a counter-kick for his midsection. Salza twisted around the kick to drive his fist straight into 17's jaw. He grabbed the boy's scarf and yanked him back into another driving punch with the opposite fist. The scarf came undone in Salza's hand as 17 went crashing into the ground. He extended his fingers, snapping a razor sharp blade of energy around hand. Salza spun around, twisting back to swing his arm out, lashing a crescent-shaped energy wave down on the island. 17 powered up a green energy barrier to block the attack, but the rest of the Salza Whip split the island in half. The only bit of land that connected was the ground under 17's feet. Salza dove in, charging straight for the Android as his barrier powered down. 17 shifted to the side and grabbed Salza's arm before he could drive his energy blade through, and then shoulder-charged into the lieutenant's face. Salza stumbled back as the blow struck, wide open as 17 charged to take his advantage. The lieutenant spun around as 17 dove to tackle him, striking the Android in the back with his elbow. 17 slammed down hard into the snow covered ground. Salza twisted in the air, crying out as he drove his signature attack down towards 17 again.

His target rolled out of the way, driving his Salza Blade through the ground. 17 pushed off of his hands, slamming both of his feet against Salza's face. The lieutenant rolled and bounced across the ground with his momentum, eventually spinning around to regain his stance. Salza's borrowed sneakers dragging across the snowy surface until he came to a stop.

17 could hardly believe how strong Cooler's top goon was now. Salza could even give Gohan a run for his money. "Where the hell were you two an hour ago," the Android wondered. Would things have been any different though, or would Cooler and Salza be exactly where they were now.

Salza frowned at the stubborn Android, but his resolve did not waver. His own tactics were simple, easy to predict. Salza was trying to eliminate his target as soon as possible, and it gave his opponent many openings. If 17 were any more of a disciplined fighter, Salza would have taken a much more cautious approach.

Cell's voice echoed over them, screaming and shouting in a blind rage as Cooler kept him at bay. Salza's power was only slightly higher than the Android's, and even then it was limited. He could not afford to waste his energy on such a dangerous opponent. Lord Cooler was running out of excuses, out of reasons not to kill Cell. It made Salza's job even worse to deal with.

"You think this is stupid too, right?" Salza pulled his eyes from the battle above, down to 17. "Your boss, he's screwing with Cell for no reason. He can just...wipe him out without lifting a finger, couldn't he?"

"What difference does zhat make?"

"Why doesn't he just kill Cell then? I'm hardly worth the effort anymore, am I?"

"Lord Cooler has his reasons to having you destroyed."

"So much that he pawns the responsibility off to his underlings?"

Salza had stood in that spot before. Many of his opponents and his victims tried to plead or talk sense into him. Whatever it was, it was always their last ditch efforts to save their lives.

 _'You don't have to be a slave!'_

 _'Please, I'll disappear! You can take everything and say I'm dead!'_

 _'This is beneath you, isn't it?'_

Now, the most powerful foe Salza ever faced was trying to reason with him. The sad thing was, he wasn't the first person Salza wanted to listen to. He didn't want to fight 17 at all, at least not for the sake of prolonging Cooler's own amusement. The fight of his life, and it was in fact beneath him. However, the alternative was death at the hands of his lord and master.

"It doesn't matter. Your presence here is a risk zhat I will not allow."

Back to square one. 17 didn't want to leave. Salza wanted to keep Cell from absorbing 17.

The blue skinned bastard was stronger than 17 expected. And 16 still loomed above, waiting for the need to intervene. He didn't want to dirty his own hands with the deed. He was a coward, and a hypocrite.

"What about you, Android? Why is it so important zhat you stay so close to danger? Are you working with Cell?"

The thought alone disgusted 17. "That freak absorbed my sister. That's how he evolved. I'm going to watch him die."

Salza smiled, bemused by 17's answer. "Truly, such a noble cause." The lieutenant raised his hands, prepared to continue his assault. "Zhe purpose of zhis fight is irrelevant as long as you remain here. You will die eizher way. And as long as I am here, I shall be zhe one to decide zhat outcome. I will not allow you to reunite with your sister...not zhis way at least."

Lazuli. She would have smacked him into clarity. Only 17 could be this stubborn over his own life.

* * *

 _The winter air was colder than usual. The fire was dying out, barely providing any warmth. Lapis woke up with a piercing headache and a broken arm. Lazuli was balled up and shivering across the fire. She covered Lapis with all of their blankets._

" _Damn it..." She lifted her face at the first sound Lapis made. His stomach twisted in guilt when he saw the busted nose and the darkened shiner on Lazuli's face. "Get these blankets off of me."_

" _K-k-k-k-keep th-th-them o-on y-y-you." Her teeth were chattering noisily together from the cold. "Y-y-y-your h-h-hurt."_

" _And you're f-f-f-freezing!" He started to sit up, then winced when his head became too heavy to support. Lapis fell back onto the rough cushioning under his head. "Shit..."_

" _M-m-m-move o-o-over." Lapis slid to the side, making room for Lazuli as she stumbled under the blankets. She laid on her side, huddled up into a shivering, chattering ball. "G-g-g-get s-s-some s-sleep."_

 _He eventually fell asleep to the sound of Lazuli's teeth. He awoke the next second to the warm kiss of the sun shining through the broken warehouse windows. Next to him was a small ball hidden under the layers of dirty old sheets and blankets. Lapis looked under, half expecting to find his sister's frozen corpse. The light intake of cold air caused her to stir, and confirmed that she wasn't dead yet._

 _Lapis managed to get the fire going and started cooking before Lazuli dared to brave the bright cold world. Unlike her brother, Lazuli approached the fire with three of the thickest blankets they had pulled over her shoulders. She looked blue, literally._

" _S-s-smells g-good."_

 _He smirked, pushing around the mixed contents of the the breakfast stir fry. "You've still got the stutter? You think it's permanent?"_

" _Sh-shut the f-f-fuck up. I probably have h-hypothermia y-you ass. All because I h-had to s-save you, again." She took a step closer to the fire. If he wasn't so frustrated, Lapis would be worried about his sister burning herself. All things equal, she seemed to warm up considerably._

" _Nobody asked you to get involved."_

" _Nobody asked you t-to pick a f-fucking fight!"_

" _I can handle myself! That guy—,"_

" _Lapis, just...f-fuck, why are y-you so stupid? We're th-thirteen years old n-now. O-our only r-rule is to s-survive. Y-you were just trying to win—t-trying to be r-r-right." He wanted to argue with her. She was right though, and that alone irritated Lapis. Arguing with her was impossible. He could barely look at her face. It was just a reminder of his mistake. "Lapis, w-we look out for each other. We s-survive. Nothing else matters."_

* * *

Salza lowered his guard. 17 stared up at the sky, past 16 and at the sight of Cooler driving Cell back inch by inch. There was a flicker of something in the Android's eye, but Salza couldn't quite tell what it was.

"She hated the cold anyway," 17 finally said.

"What?"

17 brought his gaze back down to Salza. "My sister. Android 18? Her name was originally Lazuli." He put his hands up and shrugged. "She hated the cold, and she'd probably beat my ass for hanging out here." Salza's jaw fell slightly. 17 nodded down to the lieutenant's left hand. "Keep the scarf if you want. You win, Blue-Man. I'm leaving."

Before Salza could react, 17 turned his back and flew off in the opposite direction. For a moment, Salza remembered his battle against Android 3 alongside Neiz, which also ended in her surrender, and the lieutenant humorously wondered if his diplomatic talents could work on Cell. Evidently he had some talent, or just unnatural luck, in dealing with the Androids.

16 smiled as he watched 17 fly away from the fight, and away from Cell. He was thankful that his fellow Android made the right choice in the end, and walked away. And Salza seemed more than content not to pursue. As for Dore and Neiz, they stayed out of their skirmish for a reason.

16 moved to follow after 17 in hopes that he wouldn't mind an escort. He didn't want to destroy 17, but he was prepared to. 16 had hoped that the threat alone would be enough to drive 17 away, but once Cooler's forces intervened, it was out of 16's hands. Whatever alliance Gohan and Cooler forged, 16 couldn't afford to break it.

Before 16 could follow, a powerful force blasted past him, nearly knocking the Android over. Whatever moved past him, it was headed straight for 17.

* * *

"Hurry and take him out!" Cooler turned away from Salza and launched himself down towards Cell. He crashed into the monster, driving them both into the ground, splitting the earth beneath his behemoth of a foe. Cell finally retaliated, opening his mouth and blasting at Cooler point-blank with Knight Boston's Destroyer Cannon.

A bright pink explosion devastated half of the island, turning it into a smoking crater with ocean water slowly spilling into it. Cell emerged from the tower of smoke, eyes frantically darting towards Salza and 17's battle. "17!"

Cell was stopped before he could take off, as Cooler came crashing back down, his fist driving into the Bio-Android's cheek. The king's dark blue aura exploded to life as he dashed after Cell, following up his pursuit with a savage kick to his midsection. Cell was launched in another direction, shouting in pain before his trek was stopped again as the unstoppable monarch sent Cell crashing into the ocean below with a striking elbow.

Cooler turned and charged towards the dark waters. Cell came blasting out as soon as he went crashing down, charging full force with Frieza's Nova Strike. The monarch's aura gave another sudden burst, causing Cooler to disappear for a moment, only to reappear after he crashed through Cell's assault, and drove the both of them beneath the frigid waters again.

Foggy flashes of light could be seen below, accompanied by muffled explosions. One such blast caused the water to suddenly burst upward, as Cell flew high into the sky. A moment later, Cooler came blasting out of the water, catching up with Cell in a matter of seconds. He cut the monster off, and stopped his advance with another strike across the jaw.

Cell's fiery golden aura exploded around his massive form, releasing gale force winds as he powered up. He yelled and screamed, his rage and frustration feeding his power. But Cell was at his absolute peak in his Monstrous Form. He couldn't defeat Cooler without absorbing 17.

Cooler hovered in place against Cell's tantrum, unflinching as the Bio-Android tried to power up further. He could sense it now. Cell had reached his maximum potential in his form. His arsenal of techniques was wasted while he whined and simpered for his all access pass to a power up. Cell was no different than Frieza. He just expected the universe to bend its knee to their will, just because of their power. Cooler fought to claim what was rightfully his.

The cocky smile of a certain monkey reminded Cooler that not everyone was like his brother. How ironic that Cooler would respect the Saiyan lineage that killed Frieza and his father more than he would his own blood. Truly, his fight with the Super Saiyan would prove to be more of a challenge.

Cooler charged forward, and drove his fist and his arm through Cell's chest, silencing his infernal screaming. The monster instead just gasped desperately, looking down as the short Arcosian pulled his arm out in one motion. Cell coughed out mouthfuls of purple blood, slowly descending to the ground. Cooler followed him every inch, eyes fixed solely on the wounded beast. By the time they touched the ground, Cell's Monstrous Transformation had receded, and he was in his base, weaker state again.

Clutching at the hole in his chest that closed slowly, Cell gasped and panted desperately. He looked up at Cooler, who had his hand opened, and pointed at Cell. In his weakened state, kneeling and bleeding, there was nothing Cell could do to stop Cooler.

"Pitiful," the king said. "You had so much promise."

In a bold move, Cell lunged forward, charging with all his speed. Cooler couldn't fire his blast to destroy the creature, but instead he activated his Energy Blade and cleaved through Cell's shoulder. He cried out and stumbled, but continued to run past Cooler in a desperate dash. The monarch turned, eyes traced on the fleeing creature. He was running in the opposite direction of his prey, but Cooler doubted Cell was so ready to give up.

Cell charged a bright pink orb in the palm of his only good hand. Cooler recognized another signature attack of Knight Boston, the Eraser Bomb. However, Cell flew up towards the sky, and launched the energy bomb into the sky. Cell turned about, looking down at Cooler. With a furious shout, the half of Cell's body that Cooler sliced away sprouted back, drenched with green liquid.

The Eraser Bomb detonated in the sky, casting a bright pink glow across the dark clouds, and down behind Cell. Cooler launched off of the ground once he saw Cell had regenerated his lost limb, charging in to finish things once and for all.

With both hands, and the light from the Eraser Bomb, Cell brought his outstretched fingers up by his face, "SOLAR FLARE!" The light grew brighter, reflecting off of Cell and bouncing off of the dark clouds, and the ocean surface. The flashes of light seared Cooler's retinas, blinding and stunning him as they continued to flicker and blink.

Cell immediately blasted off past Cooler, who was screaming and cursing as he covered his eyes. To his great fortune, Cell spotted 17 taking off, alone and ripe for the taking.

In an instant, Cell crashed into the unsuspecting Android, carrying him further away from the others. The Android was terrified, but Cell couldn't care less. They were alone, at last. The key to his ultimate evolution, finally, literally in his grasp. Cell laughed at the look of terror in 17's eye as he looked over his shoulder, unable to break free.

Cooler's blood boiled as he focused on Cell's energy signature, and then took off, a booming thunderclap echoing in the blind monarch's wake. Salza tried to pursue, but Cell was too quick. He was nearly flattened in the wake of Cooler's path.

They were laughing at him. Those pompous, arrogant voices were back, mocking him. Cooler pushed himself as hard as he could. He refused to be made a fool of by such a simple trick.

Cell could sense Cooler approaching. He couldn't waste a single second. 17's panicked eyes grew wider with Cell's tail, which was now poised over him. "Don't worry, 17. It was _always_ meant to be this way!"

A million thoughts ran through his mind as he looked back, staring up at the dark abyss that waited for him. It was the last thing Lazuli saw before...whatever happened to her. He remembered his favorite times, and the last time he saw her. He couldn't remember the last thing he said to Lazuli. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. What could you say when your life led to being some monster's snack?

Lapis wondered how much of Cell's words were true. Helpless, and with his end coming down on him, Lapis closed his eyes. His remorse was fleeting. The questions he wanted to ask didn't matter. Nothing did. At least he would see Lazuli again.

Cell's tail swallowed 17 down quickly, like a starving python. Immediately, he powered up a barrier to defend himself, as Cooler was within reach. But even he couldn't stop what was happening. A faint green light was cast off of the Bio-Android's body as his evolution began. 17's being was broken down and fused with Cell's body, similar to 18 before him. More than that, Cell could feel his power rising to new heights. Everything was becoming more enhanced. His senses were sharper, his body felt stronger, faster, his energy levels were near limitless! His tall, bulky frame shrank slightly, his muscles becoming tighter, his body more slender by comparison.

Cooler could sense Cell's power rising with no end in sight. He had no choice but to match Cell's full might with his own. The tyrant's aura erupted around him, the dark purple glow standing out amidst the darkness caused by the light of Cell's transformation. The two immense powers eclipsed out all other light around them. Cooler's body became to expand and grow, making him taller, more powerful and muscular than before. Despite the physique of his Fifth Form, Cooler's training allowed him to master the form completely, having strength and speed in equal measures. Even as Cooler neared the end of his transformation in contrast to Cell's evolution, the monarch still found himself questioning the outcome of their battle.

The ocean's turbulent surface had finally calmed as two powerhouses floating above had reached their peak. The waves crashed into each other beneath the warrior's boots as they sized one another up.

Cooler's form had not changed since its first reveal to Cell. That made Cell the first fighter Cooler has used his ultimate form against in battle, and the first one to see it twice. It was becoming a habit Cooler was not fond of repeating.

Cell's new body was much more humanoid compared to the previous two. Even Cell himself seemed to be perplexed by his own form. He stared at his hands, balling them into fists and unclenching them. The tail was all but gone, leaving only the stinger sticking out of Cell's back, between his wings. His face was structured and styled similar to that of an Arcosian's. Another sick insult to Cooler's people.

Cell finally turned his new pink colored eyes up to Cooler. The perfect evolution against the ultimate transformation. Cell offered a smirk, sparing no words as he lowered his hands, readying for a fight. Cooler scowled in return, covering his mouth over with his bone-mask as he prepared for battle. The two warriors blitzed towards each other, striking in the center with a blinding flash.

* * *

 **I'm somewhat disappointed with myself that we're approaching the year mark of when I published this story, and it's still not done. Even more incredible is the dedication and time you readers take to read this junk I write o.o; It's flattering, to say the least, but also kind of intimidating to think about sometimes. In either case, your continued patience and support means the world to my crazy, fickle little muse, and keeps me coming back to this story, so thank you guys and girls.**

 **Anyway, enough of that, time to explain why this chapter took two months to finish. Barring the fickle muse bouncing around from one idea to the next on a daily basis, I've been toying around with new ideas and stories for Frigid Future, and possible potential sequels. I know Frigid Future essentially just follows the Android Saga mixed with the Future Trunks Timeline and add a dash of Cooler and some made up headcanons, but after some brainstorming and creative thinking, I will say that the 'Cell Games' will not at all be like they were in the canon-verse. So look forward to that teasing surprise. As for the POSSIBLE future of this story and its universe, if I were to approach them, there would be more original story telling, rather than a polished up version of the same story. Premises would be the same for a true sequel (see Majin Buu), but the who's, how's, where's, and why's would all be messed up-in a good way.**

 **Like I said, this is all just possibilities and 'what-ifs' at the moment. Real life hasn't been too terribly patient or kind these last couple of months for me, and right now, my plans for DBZ fanfiction start and end with finishing Frigid Future. By then, hopefully some things find themselves more in order than they are now, and I'm able to put more time and focus on my writing, with any luck.**

 **Anyway, if you're reading this, thank you for making it this far. Your guys' support and reviews and views in general help keep this story going. Frigid Future may get darker in the next chapter, just as a heads up. I have already started working on it, thankfully, so hopefully finishing and then editing won't take too terribly long. Also, only six more chapters left until the end.**


	16. Chapter 16: Twisted Fate

**So yeah...I feel like I should start with a brief apology for the wait on this one chapter. So, sorry guys, hope you enjoy! More on the why at the very bottom.**

* * *

By the time they had made it home, Nico was more fit to carry Nimu, thanks to her recently discovered talent as a bio-mechanical Android. The albino girl herself didn't understand it, until Nimu explained his most recent revelation, just before Nico brought herself back online. Nimu had patched himself up well enough to get home, a task which was indefinitely easier without having to carry Nico's dead weight on his back. All Nimu had to do was take a few crude parts from the drones he stumbled upon to fix his broken body. According to him, Nico's 'self-repair' process was a bit more complex. She didn't understand most of the technical junk, but from what Nico understood her vitals were 'offline,' which was a fancy way of saying she was dead. But thanks to Gero's augmentations, her body was rather put in a 'standby' state, while the unnatural additions to her anatomy repaired the damages to themselves.

The overall explanation was somewhat boring to Nico, but Nimu's revelation made the creation of the Androids much more disturbing. For the time being, much of Nico's abilities, and even Nimu's theory, was nothing more than that. But when bringing the comparisons from every Android that was created by Doctor Gero to Cell's traits and abilities, it seemed like Nimu was right on the money, as always.

Bulma waited for them at the heavily guarded entrance to the Resistance's headquarters, standing out among the armored soldiers and robotic drones with her long blue hair and white lab coat. Next to Bulma was Vi, and coming out of the crowd towards Nimu was none other than Android 3.

"Apologies, I was almost late," 3 said as her eyes started to explore and analyze the extent of Nimu's damage. "I was finishing up a second round of patrols with the drones, just to be secure." Nico almost felt ignored, but she quietly reminded herself that Nimu was missing about a third of his body.

"You were the one who found us though," Nimu added with just a trace of humor in his voice. "I thought you would be the first one to greet us."

"It's been a long time, okay?"

"It's been less than an hour."

"Well it feels like it's been almost six months."

Nico and Nimu shared the same confused expression between each other. They both decided not to ask how or why Android 3 developed a habit of exaggerating.

Bulma approached the three Androids together. There was no effort to hide her worry as she looked over Nico and Nimu. "It's a very long story," Nico said to break the silence between them. "Cooler came back and started beating up Cell, apparently." Nimu nodded his head to confirm, being as he was the only one conscious before returning home. "Gohan and Trunks left in better condition than we did."

"If Cooler had lost though, surely Cell wouldn't leave anything standing," Nimu added.

"Who's to say Cooler still won't do the same?"

"Honor," Android 3 answered, without taking her eyes off of Nimu. She looked up at Bulma after a beat. "Cooler has demonstrated some level of honor during his time here. More than Frieza or King Cold—more so than even my brothers and sisters. If Gohan struck some sort of bargain, there's at least a seventy-four percent chance Cooler will honor such a bargain. He _did_ show up for the Super Saiyan after all, not Doctor Gero's pet project."

Nico recognized the ever changing look on Bulma's face. She was becoming impatient and frustrated that there was very little mention of what happened to Trunks. It was the same look she recognized from her own mother after being first admitted to the hospital for the last time. A parent who had yet to give up on their child, and yearned to do more in an impossible situation.

"You're...probably right, 3," the Overseer finally admitted. "Still, we need to prepare for the worst—whether it's Cooler's or Cell's."

Android 3 nodded, "I can tend to Nimu's damages on my own. I'll come to help you after we're finished." Bulma returned a nod before turning around to address the troops.

"There was something I needed to talk with you about," Nimu said to his predecessor. 3 looked down at him, but Nimu's eyes moved up to Nico. "Something I think we...all, need to talk about..."

* * *

The two warriors, Cooler and Cell, blitzed towards each other, striking in the center with a blinding flash of light. The two superpowers burned brightly as their auras clashed against one another in a storm of lightning fast strikes. The wind around them whipped and lashed out from the force of their attacks as they missed, deflected, or impacted. Cell finally broke the struggle with a sudden and violent knee that caused Cooler to double over violently. He moved behind the towering monarch and grabbed him by his tail, and pulled him hard, spinning around and around. When Cell finally released him, Cooler went crashing into the ocean like a meteor, throwing waves out from the point of impact as giant ripples.

Cell watched as the waves finally stopped crashing outward with a passive stare, and his arms folded over his chest. A large blue energy bomb came blasting out of the sea after everything had settled. Cell backhanded the attack, but left himself open to Cooler charging straight at him. His sight was blocked by the brief deflection, and Cell had no chance of defending himself as Cooler hammered his fists across his face and chest in a storm of blows. Cell pulled and twisted under the relentless assault, rising in intensity as Cooler's roar continued to grow louder too. The monarch finished his assault with a vicious headbutt, his forehead bio-gem crashing right between Cell's eyes. Cooler spun around rapidly as his quarry moved back from the stunning blow, as he prepared the final strike. Cooler pulled his knee up to his chest as he spun, and then released all of his force at once through his leg. His figurative boot slammed into Cell's chest, leaving his tri-toed imprint on the center of the Bio-Android's black armored torso. A pained cry burst from Cell's mouth as he was sent flying back into the horizon. Cooler powered up and charged after Cell to continue his assault.

A wicked, delighted smirk crossed Cell's face, just before he pulled himself to an all-stop in mid-flight, and sent his fist rocketing forward. The blow struck with devastating force, and Cell took a moment to twist his knuckles into Cooler's jaw. He drew his fist back as the tyrant was still reeling from the impact that stopped him cold. Cooler didn't have time to think, he only reacted, and vanished just before Cell's other fist struck him. The monarch regained his senses just enough to bring his elbow down sharply on Cell's spine before the Bio-Android had a chance to comprehend his foe's speed. Another pained cry and Cell was forced down into the waters below.

A moment later, Cell broke up from the sea, hovering across from Cooler with the same smirk on his face as before. Cooler's scarlet red eyes glared at Cell, unamused by the challenge, such as it was. The dent in Cell's chest was gone, as if it was never there. His regenerative abilities were much more efficient than in previous forms, it seemed.

The ocean waves never had a chance to calm before the two superpowers collided with a resounding blast that echoed loudly. They bounced back, only to dash forward and collide, pulling and crashing again and again across the sky.

Cooler was the first to change the tempo this time, charging up with his dark purple aura flaring around him. Cell followed in example, powering up his golden aura to match his foe. Their colored powers trailed behind them as they charged towards each other again. Instead of bouncing back, Cell and Cooler both caught each other upon impact, their grips locking each other in place. Both purple and gold pushed against each other, growing and rising in intensity until they blocked out the light of the sun. A crack of lightning shot and twisted around the combatants, racing away only to fade out of reach from them.

The buildup of power finally created a shockwave that launched both combatants outward, but neither allowed themselves to be pushed too far away. At close-range, they pulled their arms back, charged as much power in their hands as they could, and fired at the same time. The beams crashed into each other with even greater force than Cell and Cooler themselves when they were fighting. The immense powers pushed in opposite directions, throwing out gusts of wind from around them. Cooler didn't hesitate, shouting as he poured another burst of energy into his beam, slamming into Cell and overpowering his attack. The Bio-Android grunted as he was suddenly and forcefully pushed back as Cooler's energy wave pushed down on him, overpowering and consuming Cell completely in a blinding flash of blue light.

An explosion erupted from where Cell was swallowed up, leaving a smoking cloud in the wake. Cooler launched a piercing pair of eye lasers back into the smoke cloud. He heard Cell grunt from within as his beams struck home. Cooler powered up and quickly blitzed into the smoke cloud, and crashed into Cell aggressively. Cell's body was pushed out of the smoke cloud, where Cooler saw the two pin-sized holes in his chest.

"Don't let your guard down!"

Cooler launched towards Cell, who righted himself and struck out with a sweeping kick. Cooler vanished the moment before impact, leaving Cell's leg to swing through the empty air. An instant later, Cooler reappeared behind Cell and drove his forearm spikes into the Bio-Android's back. Cell screamed in pain, blood pouring out from the wounds. Cooler rose up into the air, then pulled a quick nose-dive straight into the ocean, with thrice the speed. There was a pause before the sea shook once again as the combatants cut through the ocean, straight into the bedrock at the bottom. One second later and the sea itself exploded from a magnificent energy blast under the dark waters. As the light burned and the waves rolled and crashed, Cooler rose up into the sky as the flash from his finishing attack slowly burned out.

The monarch relaxed his body and kept his eyes fixed on the ocean below as it consumed all traces of Cooler's destructive burst. It was a flicker, but noticeable enough for Cooler to turn around and face Cell, scuffed and bruised a bit, but still wearing that arrogant smile on his face.

"You really are relentless," Cell said, a bit winded. "It's impressive, really. This might actually be a good fight..."

"You'll be dead before this turns into a fight."

* * *

Nearly a mile away, yet still not too far from the battle, the Armored Squadron stood on one of the only remaining spits of land in the waters, along with the towering Android 16 who stood behind them. The battle they witnessed—or at least attempted to, was beyond the scope of what any single one of them could have imagined. Even Salza with his newly sharpened senses could scarcely follow, nor could 16 with his state of the art scanners. Dore and Neiz were simply lost, in utter awe of the power they were present to witness and endure.

"Th-this is insane," Dore shouted. "H-how can anyone have this much power?!"

Neiz turned to Salza. He looked just as concerned as the rest of them. "Salza...h-how did you even survive something like this?"

Android 16 had no clue what Neiz was referring to, but he knew Salza received an unexplainable boost in power as well. He had gathered already that some form of intensive training was involved. The what, why, and how were all mysteries that didn't need explaining.

"He...he never used _that_ form against you..." Dore swallowed nervously, glancing at Salza after he refused to speak. "Did he...?"

Salza softly exhaled. He knew trying to follow the battle above was futile, especially when Neiz and Dore were going to pester him with questions. In truth, they all could do with a distraction from their unending worry and awe of the clash between Cooler and Cell.

"He only used zhat transformazion against me once. He told me of it when we first entered zhe Time Chamber, and warned me zhat if I could not make agreeable progress, zhen I would die." Salza was still weaker than Cooler, even before they entered the Time Chamber, but his training was just as intense as his master's. Cooler did not settle for anything but the best, and Salza was _the_ best. By Cooler's own measure, Salza was powerful enough to even give Gohan a good fight. Though that possibility flew out the window just as soon as it was presented, what with the Super Saiyan already inside the Time Chamber.

Salza neglected to mention what Cooler's test was, when the day came. A little past the halfway mark in their year of training, Cooler finally tested Salza. All he had to do was land one strike, and he passed. That was when Salza was given the gift of witnessing Cooler's transformation, and presented the honor of facing that power in person. The only scar Cooler walked away with during his training was proof of Salza's progress, and his success. But even now, Salza could scarcely believe how much power Cooler was throwing around. And even worse, Cell seemed to match Cooler in stride.

And that was what worried Salza the most.

* * *

Explosions tore across the empty void as Trunks unleashed a barrage of energy balls after Gohan. The mentor flew backwards, eyes fixed on Trunks as he pulled and weaved between the boy's attacks. Waiting for the right moment, Gohan quickly lobbed his own energy blast back at Trunks. The blue ball zoomed right through the offensive line, forcing Trunks to either dodge or deflect. With a startling display of speed, Trunks waited until just before Gohan's attack would have hit before shifting out of place and back again. Gohan would have missed the blur of movement if he had dared to blink.

The flawless evasion meant that there was no break in Trunks' assault. Gohan continued to evade and keep his eyes fixed on his apprentice. Trunks quickly realized that he wasn't going to hit his target, and ceased his firing. Gohan, rather curious, waited to see what the boy would do next.

It still wasn't perfect, but Trunks needed to master whatever new techniques Gohan decided to teach him. Plus, it was one of his father's signature techniques, according to Gohan.

Trunks pulled his hands back, his palms facing outward, fingers curled as a purple aura sparked to life around him. Gohan smiled before planting his boots on the ground, shifting his weight back into the Kamehameha stance. In response to Gohan's challenge, Trunks' aura sparked and shifted erratically as his power rose higher and higher. Gohan's smile widened as a blue orb began charging and glowing between his hands.

"Ka...me...ha...me..."

"Galick Gun..."

"HAAA!"

"FIRE!"

The two warriors fired their beams of blue and purple, which crashed together halfway to their targets. The impact released a gust of wind that shook the old, durable sanctuary of the Time Chamber. Trunks drew on his anger, focusing his fury into pouring more power into the Galick Gun, slowly bearing down on the Kamehameha. Gohan's boots dragged against the white floor as he slowly lost ground. He laughed softly, utterly impressed with Trunks' growth in less than a month's time. But his talent was still too raw.

Gohan squared his feet, straightened his shoulders, and shouted as he pushed an even heavier wave of energy back against Trunks, gaining all of his lost ground, and a fair bit of Trunks'. The youth groaned as he was pushed back, higher into the air. Trunks pushed back valiantly, but he spent too much power with his energy barrage. As Gohan's Kamehameha started to push back on him again, Trunks twisted to the side to avoid the inevitable outcome. The Galick Gun dissipated, letting the Kamehameha Wave sail straight into the empty void as it burned past Trunks' arm.

Trunks descended to the ground, clutching his burned, bleeding arm with a wince of pain. When he looked up, Gohan was already standing next to him. "You really thought that was the smartest move?"

The boy gave a cocky smirk that made Gohan wonder. "Yeah, I knew I wasn't going to hit you at that range..." Before Gohan could put his meaning together, Trunks gut-shot his mentor with a point-blank blast. Gohan felt like he was sucker punched—if that fist was made of raw, burning energy. He fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air as he clutched his stomach.

Gohan laughed weakly before raising his head back up to the exhausted boy. Trunks was already on the ground too, having spent the last of his energy to land the final blow on Gohan. He laughed with his teacher as the two laid out on the white floor. For the time being, they were too weak and reluctant to move, and were more than content letting their bodies cool off against the cold ground. How that was possible with the air so blistering hot, neither Saiyan knew, but they didn't question it.

After they rested and got cleaned up, Gohan and Trunks stayed in their Super Saiyan form to teach their bodies to get use to the strain in more relaxing situations. It was draining to be sure, but half way through the second week, Trunks started noticing tremendous boost to his endurance and stamina during his sparring sessions with Gohan as a result. It was more than draining for the newly christened Super Saiyan, but Trunks was getting use to that stress too. The boy's muscles were already swelled, and much more defined. Trunks had never been pushed so hard, but he continued to meet Gohan's expectations every step of the way.

Gohan found himself a fitted purple gi, not unlike Piccolo's. Popo laid out an assortment of new clothes for them. The one good thing about their stay was they had to do very little laundry. Gohan just hoped they didn't run out of clothes before then. Trunks was found at the dinner table, stuffing his face from four different plates at once. Gohan had never seen Trunks feast like a Saiyan before. He wondered if the intense training and access to an impossible amount of food had anything to do with it. Gohan's stomach interrupted any further thoughts with a noisy complaint.

"Ngh...good thing I didn't eat before you hit me. I might have exploded." Trunks chuckled, keeping his mouth closed and cheeks stuffed while Gohan made himself five plates. "I wonder if Cooler and Salza eat as much as us..." Gohan looked back at Trunks, who simply shook his head, his mouth too crammed with food to speak. "You're right. Saiyans should stay champions of the feast." Trunks rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway. Apparently Gohan forgot to teach Trunks a good sense humor.

In spite of that, Trunks was making huge strides. He always had talent, but they hardly had the time to refine it. Even Gohan's fighting skills were rustier than he had realized. He had gotten so use to being a punching bag that the last few days felt like something of a wakeup call. Both Gohan and Trunks had to overcome not just Cooler, but possibly even Cell as well. They were both going to have to exceed their limitations.

Gohan thought, reluctantly, about Cell, and his overwhelming power. If only he had the strength to stop Cell. The Imperfect creature was gruesome, but easier—by far, to handle. Gohan didn't stand a chance against him, but he learned to fight harder, how to access even greater strength within himself. If only he had been stopped then, before he could have absorbed Android 18. Even with all the strength he had now, Gohan felt like he wouldn't have stood a chance against the Semi-Perfect Cell.

But Cooler, he was a different story for Cell. Gohan could barely sense the well of power that Cooler had been hiding, but he recognized the look in the Arcosian Prince's eyes. More than that, Cooler still had another transformation hidden away that Gohan had only sensed, but never experienced himself. For the time being, Cooler had his undisputed title as 'Strongest in the Universe.' But Gohan didn't plan to let him keep it.

Despite the perils and dangers that waited on the other side of the door, the thought of becoming stronger...it was exciting Gohan's dormant Saiyan blood.

* * *

Android 3 continued to work on Nimu's repairs in silence, even after hearing his revelation about the truth behind their creation. Even after hearing it the second time over, Nico was still shook by how far Gero's madness went. Then again, she knew firsthand how...driven the doctor could be.

"Interesting," 3 finally said, lifting a small, narrow torch in her hand.

"Interesting?" Nico repeated. "You find out we were just...puzzle pieces for Cell's creation, and all you say is interesting?"

"I've been aware of my disposable nature since I was aware of Android 17 and 18's creation. Gero updated and made us more advanced before Android 9 deployed us for combat, but by comparison we were largely out of date." Her eyes moved over to Nico, passive, blank, but focused. "With the concept of Android 1 alone, I always assumed that Gero had...larger ambitions, but I never believed he made any true progress. Even though he was the strongest of us, Android 1 was gravely flawed in his design."

The 'Preteens' they were called, all were in some way. The Red Ribbon Army's early attempts to create a force of advanced robotic warriors to give them an edge in their conquest of Earth was far ahead of its time. Even though Nico and Nimu both were in the same category as the others, despite being 'created' decades apart in some cases, she personally knew nothing about Android 3's 'siblings,' as they were. Nimu's computer brain undoubtedly had all the information on them, and more.

"Android 1's biomechanical nature, Android 2's shared cybernetics based on Arcosian physiology, my ability to analyze and decipher an opponent's fighting style—Nimu's even greater enhancements that allow him to mimic fighter's unique techniques, all of it adds up. If he wasn't a complete psychopath, Doctor Gero's genius would be something to marvel at." Nico swore she almost saw a flicker of guilt across 3's eyes as she both praised and dashed the name of her creator. Objectively, she was right about Gero's intelligence. The state of the entire planet itself is a tribute to Gero's misused gift.

The three of them were also part of his legacy as well. Objective or not, she didn't like the idea of being branded by Gero's madness. It was no wonder that the people in the Resistance hated her—all of them, so much.

Nico shook her head, desperately wanting to think about anything else. "So...how's Nimu?" Neither of them answered. They were both good about maintaining a neutral expression, but it was just a bit _too_ neutral. "I...said something wrong, didn't I?"

"Android 3 has been trying to think of a way to tell me that we don't have the resources to fully fix this." Nico's eyes widened, but Android 3 remained silent, passive. Nimu was as relaxed about the situation as 3 was. "It's something I've had time to consider. Our technological makeup is unique, precise, almost impossible to recreate. It would be no different than if you lost your arm."

"We _can_ make a replacement for you," Android 3 asserted. "But it will be some time before you get one that will bring you back up to one-hundred percent efficiency."

"Wait, Bulma is the smartest person here," Nico pointed out. "Why can't she make his replacement arm? I mean, she has to know as much about us as either of you."

They shared a look before they both went right back to looking away. Nico swore they were both communicating telepathically. "It's...more of a matter of importance, not resources or time," 3 explained.

"I can still operate and function perfectly fine without an arm," Nimu explained. "But the Resistance and the rest of these people still have needs and I don't feel it appropriate to waste them on a luxury for me." He finally turned his head toward 3, watching her work unnoticed. "And as we've seen, an Android with a handicap is still more than capable."

"Some more than others," 3 stated passively. "You're still able to level a building with your arm."

"And I would like to keep it that way." The two met each other's gaze again. "Nothing against your choice."

"None taken."

Watching the two of them interact was a show. Android 3 went back to patching up Nimu. Truly they were a bizarre pair. But they had just enough humanity to bring a smile to Nico's face.

"Nimu..." He looked up at Nico with a curious stare. "You're a really good guy."

He smiled at her. "Thank you Nico."

As long as they didn't have to martyr themselves. Android 3's sacrifice was a generous sign of trust toward the Resistance. Nimu's loss was...unfortunate, but acceptable. All things considered, Nico was feeling like the lucky one.

* * *

The brutal exchange of blows echoed over the sea as Cooler and Cell continued their endless brawling. One would endure a punishing blow, recover, and counter with an equally devastating hit, and so on with neither one showing any sign of relenting. They moved and clashed across the sky, their blows causing small bursts of force from impact. The exchange was finally broken when Cooler slammed his fists down on the back of Cell's neck, sending the Bio-Android straight towards the ocean.

He opened his hands and fired an overwhelming beam of blue energy that consumed Cell completely, and shot straight to the rocky floor of the sea. On impact, the energy beam created an immense explosion that shook the waters, and sent a tidal wave out in all directions from the blast radius. Cooler sharpened his senses to find Cell, but he was a second too late. A small orb of green energy slammed into Cooler's shoulder, erecting a cry of pain from his lips as he was thrown off balance. He turned back, only to be greeted with the sight of Cell's fist just before striking his face. The blow sent Cooler flying across the skyline, and Cell quickly pursued his target. The tyrant pulled himself to a stop, and retaliated with a quick strike that Cell avoided by pulling his head to the side. Without losing momentum, the Bio-Android drove his knee up into Cooler's chin, which launched him further back.

Cell shot himself after his prey once again, only this time he crashed head-long into a barrier that the tyrant threw out at the last second. The perfect warrior bounced back and spun head over heels, leaving him wide open to a barrage of energy blasts from Cooler's vengeful hand. A steady stream of blue streaks crashed and detonated against Cell, pushing him further and further from Cooler. After laying a few more blasts on him, Cooler stopped and quickly vanished. When the last bomb hit, Cell turned sharply when he sensed Cooler behind him. The monarch raised his hand and grabbed Cell's counter kick before it landed, and pressed forward as his fist collided with the Bio-Android's jaw in retaliation.

The blow sent Cell reeling, and pushed him out of Cooler's reach. The two warriors fired up their auras and moved quickly for another heated skirmish. They raced faster, pushing harder—one challenging the other to meet their power, their speed, their raw potential. Despite the intensity of their close quarters fight building to a breaking point, neither the Super Arcosian or the Perfect Android seemed to gain an edge on the other.

Each fighter exchanged a savage punch to the face, pulling themselves around quickly to retaliate with another striking blow. Their elbows crashed together, then their fists, knees, fists again, arms, and over and over again, changing the strikes and the pace, but meeting with the other's attack halfway. Cell swung wide with a sweeping kick. Cooler blocked with the side of his leg, and then lashed his tail out to strike back. The tail-slap spun Cell around, leaving his back exposed as Cooler moved in.

Before Cell could turn around, Cooler pulled his arms across his chest and shot towards the Android's blind spot. He quickly pulled his arms in the opposite directions, driving his right arm-spike through Cell's side, and his left hooked Cell's right arm and pinned it to his side once it struck home too. With both spikes driven into him, Cell cried out in agony as the Arcosian emperor strained. His purple aura burst to life, feeding him even greater strength as his spikes drove in deeper, pinching Cell's abdomen in the middle. With a final cry of effort, Cooler swung his arms apart, slicing off one of Cell's arm, while cutting his entire body in two.

There was an instant where Cell realized he was in true danger in such a vulnerable state. As he fell out of the sky, Cooler turned about to finish him with a beach ball sized orb of crackling black and red energy—like the Death Ball, only larger, and much more concentrated.

"DIE!" Cooler launched the Purge Bomb forward with incredible speed. The blast raced across the open air and met its target in a blink, unleashing a devastating explosion with a catastrophic blast radius that reached across as far as the eye could see. Cooler stayed in place, watching the heart of the blinding explosion he created, unflinching as the explosive force washed past his body. Below, the waves moved and trembled, and the inhabitants of the remaining islands below shielded their faces from the blistering winds.

Once the blast died down, all that was left was a cloud of smoke that took its sweet time clearing out. It didn't need to—Cooler sensed a spike in Cell's energy an instant before the cloud broke, and a blurring object came crashing into him. Cell landed a speeding uppercut across Cooler's jaw, then followed up with a rapid spin-kick to the stomach that caused the tyrant to double over. He finished the beating with another overhead spin-kick, slamming his heel down on Cooler's exposed back, and sent him crashing down below.

Cell flexed his newly grown hand, having already tested his new legs. Everything still worked like a charm, no matter how much he had to regenerate. Truly, Doctor Gero was a genius ahead of his time.

Cooler made an explosive return from his brief time underwater, taking his position in the air across from Cell. The Bio-Android turned to the monarch with a smile as he continued to roll his shoulder. "You are really determined to win." Cell chuckled with amusement, but Cooler only scowled beneath his bone mask. "Good. That fighting spirit, that determination to be the strongest, that's what your family truly lacked."

"You think just because your creator stole my family's genetics that you know a damn thing about our royal lineage?"

"Gero was shockingly thorough with how certain genes influenced my evolution. He relied heavily on Frieza and Cold—given how great a threat they were to Son Goku and his friends. Gero had no real way of knowing how much I could retain from each individual..." Another callous chuckle as Cell lowered his arms. "But you're right, I can't remember...everything. But I still get a little tickle in the back of my mind when I think about you. Something...hm, funny? Truth be told, I've been getting it since we very first met..."

There was a haunting laugh that echoed in the back of Cooler's mind. He forced the memory back down, and focused on the present.

"You see, I've been thinking about it for awhile now, and I realized, anything 'funny' concerning you and your family, well...that means it's probably less humorous for you, hm?"

"You should keep that vile mouth of yours shut if you know what's good for you, wretch."

"Another thing I was curious about, and perhaps you could enlighten me on this. If Frieza had a father, and a brother...where oh where is the mother, I won—," Cell tilted his head to the side as a frustrated Death Beam fired from Cooler grazed his cheek. A small trail of purple blood ran down the side of Cell's stoic face, but soon he smiled again. "Ooh...touched a nerve? Go ahead and educate me then, prince. After all, we're practically family."

The Arcosian's rage coursed through him. He roared out in fury as he powered up again, his purple aura feeding his strength, his power. Cell simply stayed in place, allowing Cooler to grow stronger to provide a better challenge.

Cooler acted instantaneously, and charged forward with his fists slammed into Cell's chest as he moved both of them straight down. They hit the dark waters with a resonating boom. The sea rocked and burst even higher, having yet to settle down from Cooler's previous explosive assault.

The moment of impact came a split second after Cell and Cooler vanished in the waters, with the former being pushed and buried under a few dozen feet of crushing rocks and water. Cell's smug attitude had vanished, replaced by an expression of anger and panic before Cooler started to hammer in his face with his oversized fist over and over again. They were trapped in a small air pocket underground, but the rubble over Cooler's back was threatening to give way to the infinite weight of the waters pressing down. Before that could happen, Cooler grabbed Cell by the throat, squeezing with both hands, turned, and blasted upward, cutting through the waters that threatened to crush them. Cell let out a muffled, choked gasp behind in the water before the warriors came back up into the sky. Cooler pushed Cell back with a forceful head-butt that nearly busted the Bio-Android's skull open.

The two warriors parted, but only one of them started to gather up their energy. Cell followed in suite behind Cooler, quickly charging a powerful Kamehameha Wave. Cooler held his hands across from each other, the left twisted upside down, fingers curved towards the other hand. A raw orb of shimmering white-blue energy gathered between his palms, growing brighter and hotter the more energy Cooler poured into the fist-sized ball. Cell only had half a second's worth of energy to gather to catch up.

"This is the end for you, MONSTER!"

Cell only smiled as he continued to charge his attack. "Ka...me...ha...me..." Cooler's fury only rose as Cell stepped up to meet the challenge. Soon, the arrogant beast would learn his place.

The orb of concentrated energy between Cooler's hands sparkled and crackled with raw power, like a miniature star the monarch compressed into his grasp. The signature technique of the royal line of Arcose, created by Cooler's grandfather, later taught to his daughter, the future Empress Arctriza. She never had the opportunity to properly teach Cooler his grandfather Polar's signature technique. But now the Arcosian monarch had mastered the technique for his own—the truest rite of succession for the royal family. And it was all truly, rightfully his.

Cell's charged wave reached its apex, giving him a wider sneer over his face before he finally pushed his arms forward, launching his attack forward. "HA!" An overwhelming wave of raw power shot out from Cell's hands as Cooler fired his attack.

"ARCTIC NOVA!" The monarch threw his arms forward, his hands still apart as they pushed the white orb forward, throwing out the concentrated energy wave to meet Cell's technique. The white-blue energy poured out from Cooler's hand, with the force of a focused blizzard pushing against the Bio-Android.

The Nova and Kamehameha waves slammed together in the sky, casting a blinding light across the battlefield from above. Both Cooler and Cell held their ground in the beam struggle, neither warrior gaining any true leverage. The Arctic Nova beam was harder to maintain, harder to focus when pushed against something equally as powerful. Cooler refused to be defeated, and poured more energy into his attack, overwhelming the Kamehameha.

Victory was in his grasp. With another shout, Cooler forced one final wave of energy into the attack beam. Cell started to lose ground to the overwhelming force. The Bio-Android only smiled.

"HAAAAA!" With a resounding cry, Cell poured twice as much power into his Kamehameha Wave, which slammed back into the Arctic Nova and punched through the center of Cooler's unstable energy blast.

The energy in Cooler's hands exploded, giving him only a moment's breath before the Bio-Android's blast struck and washed over the monarch. An instant later, Cell's wave erupted in a sudden and violent explosion.

The Perfect Android only smiled as his wave was disrupted, and slowly lowered his arms. "Oh you are good," Cell said under his breath. A burst of Cooler's power was there to disrupt the wave, not at all unlike what Cell did. When the smoke cleared, Cooler floated in place, his red eyes boring into Cell with fury. "I have to say, that attack was particularly flashy, prince." He heard Cooler growl, even from their distance. "I'm starting to think out of your whole family, you weren't the short straw after all. Mommy dearest may just be proud."

Cooler hovered in place, seething with fury. "How could you—,"

"I figure it's probably the deceased King telling me," Cell guessed before folding his arms over his chest. "Also the most apparent weakness of the technique, from those who had never properly mastered it. The most powerful technique that requires the most amount of concentration. Destabilize the flow of energy, and the whole attack comes apart." Cell's apparent—and very accurate knowledge of his technique cut the monarch's pride deeper than he had expected. I've almost got her name I think, so tell me if I'm in the ballpark. Arctica? Ariza?"

Even more apparent than Cell's innate knowledge of the Arctic Nova, Cooler started to see for himself that Cell's arrogant nature wasn't as unfounded as he believed. Cell's constant smirk, light hearted attitude, not one bit of it was arrogance like Cooler suspected. It was confidence, pride, strength.

Cell was toying with him still.

* * *

The battle seemed to reach a pause. It was one of the few moments when Salza and the others could see what was happening—or lack thereof. Whatever it was, everyone sensed the same thing; something was very wrong. Dore and Neiz didn't seem to notice. The Android among them noticed what Salza did.

His first instinct was to launch into battle with the others to help Cooler, but on a scale like theirs, how could any of them make a difference? If Cell was giving Cooler pause, then the others stood no chance in a fight like this.

The only alternative was to run. But where could they run to? Cooler was the only one who stood a chance against Cell, and the more he watched the more worried Salza became. Nothing could be done. The arrogance of the Arcosian monarchy was going to be the death of them all.

Maybe Dore and Neiz did understand the gravity of their situation. Maybe they could somehow see that Cooler wasn't winning. He was going all out from the beginning, and Cell was matching his stride without missing a beat. Neither of them were stupid, but they were confident in Cooler's abilities. Judging from the looks on their faces though, they understood on some level that things were not looking good for any of them.

* * *

Cell's smile now was much more cutting than it was agitating. His mind raced to find a new angle to attack the Bio-Android, but everything in Cooler's mind ran to the same end. Cell wasn't even trying, and Cooler had been throwing everything he had at the freak, and he wasn't even slowing down. Even after being sliced in half, Cell came back just as strong as ever. There was no doubt in Cooler's mind that Cell wouldn't allow that to happen again.

"Oh, giving me the silent treatment, hm?" Cooler didn't respond. Cell looked genuinely surprised. "Oh no, are you actually giving up?" The Bio-Android's smile widened. "You finally figured it out, huh?"

"I will not be made into a fucking spectacle for your amusement!"

Cell frowned and looked back over his shoulder in the general location of Cooler's Armored Squadron. "Hardly much of a crowd to be honest. I don't think four witnesses qualify as a spectacle." He turned back to the frustrated monarch. "Arexa?"

Cooler clenched his fists tightly as Cell continued to make light of him. He was the Emperor of the Universe. He was the last of the Arcosian royal family. _He_ the strongest in the universe.

"This game...ENDS NOW!"

Cooler's aura burst to life around him, roaring with the intensity of an inferno. He blitzed forward, vanishing from the mortal eye. Cell wore a momentary look of shock on his face, before Cooler reappeared at his side with a devastating punch to the jaw that rocked him. The monarch vanished before Cell could regain his senses, reappearing behind him with an upward kick that struck the other side of his oversized head. He took advantage of the opportunity, locked Cell in a full-nelson, and finally blasted towards the nearest land mass down head-first.

A streak of dark purple energy cut straight down the horizon, like a comet falling from the sky, and crashed onto the island below with an explosive impact. The island cracked and fractured into pieces, but still held together loosely. Before the rubble could settle, Cooler appeared in the sky above the crater his hand lifted above his head as he gathered up all the energy he needed for a massive, fiery ball of energy several times the size of the shattered land mass.

The Supernova then doubled in size. Salza felt his stomach drop at the sight, realizing that Cooler was going to destroy the planet. The Supernova was used specifically just for that, and there had never been a larger one in the history of the entire PTO.

"H-He's going to kill us all!" Neiz shouted from behind his arms, shielding his face from the winds coming from the force of Cooler's energy ball.

"Well boys, it's been a hell of a ride!" Salza was inclined to agree with Dore's statement. Their chances of them getting off the planet alive was nonexistent in the wake of Cooler's fury. He even felt some sentiment for the Android that stood by the Armored Squadron until the end.

"DIE!" Cooler hurled his Supernova down. Gale force winds blew out from beneath its pressure and size. The broken chunks of land were eaten away by the burning sun as it sank into the earth.

Then it suddenly stopped.

Cooler's eyes widened as he watched his final attack—his last ditch effort, seized in mid-flight. More than stopped, it was suddenly lifted into the air from the lone resistant force beneath it. Using both hands, Cell roared as he summoned his strength to push the miniature sun off the ground. Despite the strain on the Bio-Android's face, he found himself smiling. With another primal shout, he unleashed a steady wave of energy from both of his hands, helping to push the Supernova into the air. The energy wave lifted the Supernova higher and higher until it was launched back into the sky. Cooler moved out of the way of his own attack before it came crashing back into him, and watched as the entire orb was launched out into space.

Water rushed to fill the cracks in the island and to flood the crater at Cell's feet. He smiled with satisfaction at the sky, staring at the spot where Cooler's Supernova had disappeared to. A worthy test of his true power, all things considered. Ironic that he saved the Earth, temporarily, in the process too. Perhaps it wasn't worth it to pluck the temperamental monarch's nerve too much.

But judging from the slouch in the proud Arcosian's stance, Cell guessed that he was about finished trying.

Cell folded his arms and lifted up into the air, stopping himself just across from Cooler. He wasn't quite sure where the prince's defeated glare was pointed at with those blank red eyes, but the reality had sunken in. "Such a temper. That's rather uncouth of you to lash out so viciously." Cell chuckled with an amused smirk on his face.

The laughter echoed louder in Cooler's shame. Every fiber in his being wanted to hurt something. But what could he do against someone who had been toying with him up to this point?

"It's starting to come back to me more and more you know. Mommy died, and that made baby Cooler upset, didn't it?"

"I will not be made into a game," Cooler snarled.

"Oh, it hasn't been for you? The exact same way you were flexing your muscles against me earlier, that wasn't a cruel little game of yours? Or what about your crusade against the rest of the Androids? Honestly, the biggest difference between you and your family is that they didn't have to justify their cruelty." A split second later, Cooler shouted as a newly burned hole formed in his leg. Cell simply smiled before placing another Death Beam through Cooler's opposite shoulder. "And, well, we are practically family."

With another growl, Cooler powered up and rushed forward. The blast through his leg slowed him down a little, but it was more than enough. Cell grabbed the monarch's fist before it could land, without even blinking. Before Cooler could counter, Cell drove his other fist into the Arcosian's side. The cruel warrior grinned as he felt bones breaking under his knuckles. Cooler was doubled over in the air, gasping and clutching his wounded side. Cell pulled his leg across and quickly swung back. He nearly removed Cooler's head from his shoulders, as Cell's heel came crashing across the towering monarch's jaw. Cell finished the assault with a vicious shout as he released a powerful Kiai from his hand that sent Cooler crashing through the ocean in an instant, where he disappeared in the shadowy depths.

By the time Cooler managed to bring himself back up, he found Cell waiting for him on the landmass he crawled onto. The Bio-Android stood at the other end of the broken island that Cooler attempted to destroy with his super-Supernova, arms folded over his chest, a smile resting patiently on his face. Cooler held himself up on one hand, lowered on both knees while he held his broken ribs delicately in his other hand, with water dripping off of his body, spikes, and fins.

The laughter was echoing louder.

"I'm honestly surprised that you care that much about your brother and father though," Cell prattled on. "I must have gotten all of the bad genes, but I can't find a single fiber of their being that would go through this much effort for you. But I guess this venture has never been about family, or honor, has it, prince?" Cell lowered his arms and started to walk towards Cooler.

The downed tyrant slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the splitting pain in his side as he rose up to full height. Whatever imposing menace Cooler could muster fell on deafened ears as Cell continued to walk forward. He was given a sporting chance as Cell hopped forward. Cooler threw his fist forward, taking the bait. Cell deflected the strike and spun backward, and drove his elbow straight back into Cooler's nose. As the tyrant stumbled back, Cell opened his hand and raised a Destructo Disc above his palm, and then threw the energy disc at him. Cooler righted himself, his shot leg buckling under the pressure, but he still caught the attack coming for him. He managed to avoid losing anything vital, but the energy disc sliced through one of his horns, and cut through his armored shoulder at an angle. Cooler still let out a hiss before launching a counterstrike at point-blank range. Cell simply held out his hand, which split the energy wave that Cooler tried to unleash on him down the middle. As soon as the wave died down, Cell released a blast at his own that consumed Cooler completely. His pained cries were eventually washed away in the wave of energy that completely wiped out the island they were standing on.

 _What's the matter? Can't keep up?_

Cooler survived the attack as he came up from the waves that rocked the water's surface. As soon as he did, a familiar beam tore through his back, and out from his chest. The Death Beam nearly dropped Cooler back into the sea, but he caught himself and turned to face Cell. The Bio-Android was closer than Cooler had anticipated, flashing a smirk before he grabbed the tyrant by his throat. Cell's grip pressed down on his wind pipe, making it impossible for Cooler to draw a breath.

"You know, it's like peeling back an onion. The more hurt I inflict on you, the more your family's genes are calling out to me."

 _Come now, this is pathetic, even for you, son._

Cell drew his hand back, fingers pointed, ready to run Cooler through. "Tell me when this starts becoming familiar to you, prince."

Cooler quickly removed Cell's hand from his person by slicing it off with the curved spike on his forearm. The sudden strike seemed to annoy Cell more than pain him as he prepared to strike anyway. Once Cooler got a modicum of distance, he noticed something big moving in from behind Cell.

The giant Android—16, grabbed Cell in a surprise grab, and pinned the Bio-Android's arms to his side. "Wh-what the?!" Cell looked over his shoulder, and his face twisted with fury. "16, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm ending this!" The Android's body suddenly began to glow with a searing, golden light. Cooler watched, eyes wide with shock at the newest development. "You must run! I will destroy myself to ensure Cell's death!"

The Bio-Android gave a loud, frustrated grunt as he strained against 16's impossibly powerful grip. "Y-you wouldn't dare! The bomb that Gero planted inside of you—,"

Cell was cut off when 16 squeezed him harder, and forced the green menace to scream in pain. "I choose what my purpose is! Not Gero!" 16's body began to glow brighter than before. "Go! Now, Cooler!"

Before he could give it a second thought, Cell roared and threw his his maximum power out from his body. The golden aura exploded with enough force to break 16's grip, and even left 16's left arm severely damaged. 16 registered the immense danger he was in, and tried to detonate the bomb inside of him anyway. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough, as Cell turned to ram his arm through 16's chest and out of his back, clutching the bomb in his hand. Without a power source, the bomb was just a hunk of metal, wiring, and explosive. The light that illuminated 16's body started to recede as well before Cell crushed the component in his hand.

Cell yanked his arm back, tearing more out of 16's chest, forcing him to double over. He suddenly regrew his severed hand and used it to grab his half-sibling by the throat, and held him up higher. 16 looked up with all the malice and spite he could muster in his final act of defiance. Cell simply frowned before he backhanded 16 with enough force to send him crashing right back to the island where he had simply been observing until his kamikaze attack. He could just barely see the Armored Squadron jump out of the way before their standing ground was fractured from the force of impact.

"Well, it was a good attempt on his part," Cell admitted once he was safe. "I wonder how much damage one hit did to him though?" He ducked and turned underneath Cooler's surprise attack, and drove his fist right across the tyrant's jaw like a rocket. "Attacking from behind? Pathetic!" Cell drove his fist straight into Cooler's abdomen next. The monarch doubled over, bringing his ear down to Cell. "I thought your family was more 'honorable' than that." Cooler was shoved back, forced to hover in the air, clutching his stomach in agony. "Speaking of, how's all of that working out for you?" Cell chuckled as he floated forward. Cooler looked up, and tried to inch backward to keep Cell away. It did nothing, other than delay his punishment. "I mean really, you made a pretty big investment by coming here, didn't you? All to avenge two people who didn't even like you that much."

"You...what would you understand?"

"Oh I understand plenty, prince. If you really cared about your family's honor, you would have just killed Gohan already, and me, and destroyed this planet in one fell swoop." Cooler's muscles tensed, his throat tightened. "Poor prince. Nobody has dared to tell you the truth, hm? You're every bit as stupid and pompous as Frieza and your father."

"You...dare!?"

"Oh don't get upset at me. You could have easily just destroyed this planet, like Frieza did for Planet Vegeta, and you would have been done with it."

Their laughter was unbearable at this point. Cooler could practically hear his family taunting him, insulting him and his efforts. "I am not a coward like my brother!"

Cell just rolled his eyes. "You just refuse to listen, don't you?" Cell moved forward, in an instant, driving the bottom of his foot across Cooler's jaw. He moved quickly with two strikes to his chest as a follow-up, and then reached up, grabbed grabbed the top two horns on Cooler's head and pulled his face down into a devastating, rising knee. The impact cracked Cooler's bone mask, and snapped off his two horns in Cell's hands as his head was thrown back. Dazed and barely conscious, Cooler was brought crashing down to reality with a pained howl as Cell pinned the monarch's arms to his side with his own broken horns. "Are you listening yet?" Blood poured out from the wounds caused from being impaled with his own horns, but Cooler managed to stare daggers back at Cell. He met all the hatred and fury with a smile. "Arctriza? Was that her name?"

There was a brief rush of anger that coursed through Cooler's body, but Cell swiftly launched into his final assault after saying her name. He grabbed Cooler by his remaining shoulder-hoop, and hurled him with all of his might toward the same place he had sent 16. With his body half broken already, Cooler was little more than a heavy ragdoll as he was tossed. Cell raised a steady hand with a single finger aimed, which then turned into all five of his fingers pointed forward. He then released the King's Hail from his fingers—a barrage of small, red energy balls that bombarded Cooler all over while pushing him forward faster and harder.

Dore and Salza managed to pull 16's heavily damaged body out of the rubble. The Android had half of his mouth slapped off, his jaw unhinged, but still functioning on one side. The rest of him was covered in different scuffs and scratches, and the hole in his chest went without saying.

"Heads up!" Neiz's shout prompted Salza and Dore to turn their heads to catch sight of the speeding trail of explosions headed their way. The Armored Squadron scattered immediately, with 16 moving sluggishly in suite to avoid Cooler's smoldering body as it slammed into whatever remained of their island. Once they were all in the air, they got a good look at the burned, motionless body below them. "Oh no..."

"Th-this can't be!"

Salza only gawked in terror at their broken king. His mind shouted and protested with disbelief, but it was undeniable. Cooler had lost.

Cell appeared on the island, standing above Cooler, looking down at him. He lightly tapped the monarch a few times with the pointed end of his boot, but got no reaction from him. "Hm...that was kind of disappointing. Oh well." Cell crossed his arms and floated up into the air, putting himself right in the middle of the terrified Armored Squadron. He looked at Dore and Neiz, and then at Salza. "I don't suppose you three would like to work together to try to take me down? Come on, I'll even give each of you a free shot." Nobody dared to move, much to Cell's mild disappointment, and expectations. He didn't expect them to win, but trying would have been nice. "16? Any other surprises you'd like to throw my way?" The damaged Android also did nothing. They were all terrified mutts that watched their master get beaten. "Oh fine. I guess I'll just amuse myself then."

"W-wait!" Cell turned his attention to Salza, who dropped down on the edge of the island furthest from Cell. At a glance, it was obvious that Salza still had no intention of fighting, but there was something else very urgent based on his tone. "W-we won't be able to provide you wizh a challenge—n-not after zhe power you've displayed..."

"True," Cell agreed. "I do hope there's a 'but' coming."

"W-well...zhere is still one opponent you haven't beaten yet, s-someone even more powerful zhan Cooler..."

All it took was that one reminder before Cell imagined his own Super Saiyan rival from only an hour or so ago. "Ah, right, I forgot about Gohan and his little brat. But so what? They didn't stand a chance against me before, so what chance would they stand now?"

"Lord Cooler and I became stronger," Salza said. Cell then remembered his first encounter with Cooler. While his strength was impressive back then, it was incomparable to the stakes they fought at now. Cell's boosts in power were explained, but he realized that Cooler's never was.

"So when Cooler sent the Saiyans away..."

"Zh-zhey are training right now," Salza explained. The Brench lieutenant swallowed as a nervous bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. "You want zhe ultimate challenge, don't you?" Cell lowered his arms and fixed his eyes intently on Salza. "G-give zhe Saiyans zhe time necessary to complete zheir training. Gohan will be stronger and more powerful zhan Cooler—zhan even you." The blue-skinned fighter clenched his fists and tightened his jaw, preparing himself for the worst before truly enticing Cell's familiar nature. "Unless you're frightened by zhe challenge..."

Cell continued to stare passively at Salza. On the one hand, he knew he was being played. On the other hand, fighting Earth's last hero, and the son of the great Goku at his strongest was an enticing offer. While Cooler's strength was unmatched only days ago, Cell had an all too recent memory of Gohan's strength and power rising the more desperate the halfling became to stop Cell. The raw might of a Super Saiyan was too thrilling a challenge to refuse. And how fortunate that there were only two of them in all of the universe left.

Cell finally gave a smile, "Oh, you're good, little man." He couldn't fight the amusement of the situation. Never in his wildest dreams would Cell have imagined that some PTO soldier would outplay him, and so soundly too. "Alright. I'm nothing if not sporting. I'm thinking...one week. Saiyans, Earthlings, Android, alien, if they're on this planet, then I'll be coming for you." Cell widened his smile into a delighted, malicious grin as more cruel, twisted thoughts circled his head. "Yes...I think it's only fitting for everyone to have a stake in the fate of the world, don't you?"

Salza shuddered at the shift in Cell's personality. He had a terrible feeling that he had made a bad situation even worse. "Wh-what are you saying?"

Cell answered Salza's question with a sudden, blinding move. He knelt down over Cooler, one hand on his throat, and the other raised up with his fingers full extended, pointed down. With a smirk, Cell drove his fingers straight into Cooler's chest, through his armored chest. The unprovoked attack reawakened the monarch as he shouted in absolute agony. The Armored Squadron, and Android 16, watched as Cooler tried to thrash and twist, but with his arms stuck to his side, and Cell holding him down, Cooler was unable to escape the torture.

Delirious and in blinding agony, Cooler was barely able to make out the figure above him. The blurry shape eventually settled, reflecting the image of his arrogant, ivory skinned brother. Frieza laughed down at Cooler—laughing at his weakness. The demeaning, hateful lessons of his father repeated over and over in his head, driving Cooler even further into madness. With nothing left, he fought back one final time with a pair of eye-beams that punched through Cell's shoulder.

His last act of defiance was enough to relieve Cooler from his pain, as Cell withdrew his fingers back with a pained hiss. Rather than let the bleeding tyrant be, Cell lifted Cooler off of the ground with telekineses. He took a moment to examine his foe, and realized that the monarch had gone limp in the air. Cell gave a disappointed smirk, but realized there was no further point in tormenting the broken fool. He charged a golden ball of energy and pushed it against Cooler's stomach. The blast tore through his abdomen—through the earth beneath his back, just before the small bit of land went up in a devastating explosion.

Dore, Neiz, and 16 were all pushed back from their proximity of the blast. Salza came tearing through the cloud of dirt and smoke, just before the tidal waves came crashing down below him. Parts of his green track suit were singed and scorched, but Salza managed to avoid the worst of Cell's attack. Regardless of his own safety, such as it was, Salza looked back as the remnants of the island started to rain down around them, along with droplets of water from the sea. There was still a flicker of life, barely, somewhere below the dark waters.

* * *

Cooler regained some semblance of consciousness as he sank deeper and deeper into the darkness. The last thing he saw was the light trying to reach him as he continued to drift further and further away, with nothing but the spiteful laughter of his brother, and the disappointed voice of his father to see him off. The only thing Cooler felt as faded was the humiliation of failure, the shame of defeat. All of his bluster and pride, only to die on the same rock as the very people he sought to separate himself from. Cooler had failed himself. He only succeeded in continuing his family's legacy.

" _A live driven by pride, is driven toward ruin."_

" _What does that mean, mother?"_

 _Empress Arctriza looked over to her firstborn as a smile graced her dark lips._

His final, last thoughts cut him worse than any of his wounds. In the end, Cooler's greatest failure was as the Empress' son.

* * *

Cell quickly took his new position in the center of the Armored Squadron, who were extra jumpy after the savage display of cruelty. "That should give your prince enough time to heal from his wounds...if he survives at least." Cell hardened his eyes as he gazed directly at Salza. "In seven days, I'm bringing an even greater deal of punishment down on all of you. So be prepared by then..." Cell's serious face was replaced by his more relaxed candor, "But before I go? Well played on your part. Good thing Cooler keeps someone smart around."

Salza barely registered what Cell was saying. He was still replaying Cooler's defeat over and over again in his mind. He just stared blankly at the waves as they started to settle. Cell himself didn't seem to care, and turned his eyes back to 16. The Android shifted back as he registered the unwanted attention. Cell smiled and vanished, only to reappear in front of 16.

The sudden proximity Cell shared with his fellow Android put everyone back on edge. Dore and Neiz half expected Cell to still kill them, and Salza was just pulling himself out of his stupor. 16 struggled to hold his ground against such a superior force, but he understood that there was no escape.

"16...I need your help with something..." Cell kept a smirk as 16 gave a sudden, strained gasp. "You're going to help me send that very same message to the Resistance..." 16's lower half fell from his torso, after Cell had cut through the towering Android with a single backswing. Cell grabbed 16 by the throat to keep him floating, but with his arms falling away with his lower half, 16 was left utterly defenseless. "Gentlemen, I'll see you in one week." With a golden aura that burst around him, Cell took off with half of Android 16 in tow.

"Neiz, go find Cooler!"

"Right!" The crimson skinned alien quickly dove into the waters below at Dore's behest. The greem brute turned to Salza, who was still in a state of utter shock.

"Hey...can...can the Saiyans really become stronger than Lord Cooler?"

Salza looked over at his comrade. Dore recognized the apology written on his commander's face that he couldn't quite put into words. Despite Salza's lack of will, Dore refused to give up before he dove into the waters to help Neiz find Cooler.

* * *

"Yes! I got it!" Trunks charged another Destruco Disc in his hand before sending it forward into the empty void in front of him. Gohan watched from the sanctuary with a proud smile as his ward mastered yet another technique.

They had just passed the two month marker in the Time Chamber, and Trunks continued to make great strides in his training. Both of them had become more accustomed to the torturous conditions of the environment, not to mention Trunks' handling of energy and his Super Saiyan form. Gohan shifted his focus to teaching Trunks about the more mechanical side of fighting, techniques, combat moves, and how to think with an even head in the midst of combat.

For the time being, Gohan simply enjoyed that Trunks was elated at having a new technique under his belt. Ever since Trunks learned his father's Galick Gun, he was particularly fond of it. Perhaps all of the intense training was bringing out the Saiyan in both of them.

"Hey Trunks?" The youth stopped before he could charge another disc, and turned back to Gohan. With a smile on his face, the mentor charged up to his Super Saiyan form. A steady flow of golden energy moved around him, as the light reflected across the endless white void. "Power up. We're going to spar."

Trunks returned his teacher's smile with a wicked one of his own. "You're on!" The boy turned to face Gohan, and started to shout as he drew out his latent power. His long, lavender hair lifted up into golden spikes, and his eyes shifted to an intense, solid green. With a final cry, Trunks' raw power exploded around him, burning with intensity, and just a shade darker than Gohan's.

The two halflings readied themselves. Trunks wore a battle ready scowl with his knees bent and hands raised, ready to fight. Gohan took a stance similar to his late father's, but unlike Trunks he smiled. It wasn't from arrogance, or overconfidence. Gohan's Saiyan blood was burning from excitement to see how far Trunks' potential would carry him.

"You ready?" he finally asked.

"Of course!" Trunks responded.

If Saiyans had training wheels, this was the moment where they took them off. Their mastery of the Super Saiyan form wasn't perfect, but it was greatly improved. More than anything, a real fight was the best way to help their mastery of the transformation.

Another beat passed between them, before both Super Saiyans lunged forward with fierce battle cries. One way or another, Gohan was going to draw out every bit of Trunks' latent potential, along with his own. It was the only chance they were going to have against whoever or whatever was waiting for them on the other side of the door.

* * *

The sun began to set over the horizon. Android 3 never had time to observe the scenery that well—beyond running her defensive routines for their home. She was never truly allowed to sit and notice things like the horizon, or how the sun changed colors throughout the day. Android 9—Commander Red, was always too busy making sure everyone was doing something. He always wanted to be prepared for an attack from his enemies. All that preparation, only for a rogue variable to topple all of the Red Ribbon Army's ambitions.

"Is it very different?" Nimu moved to stand next to Android 3. "I never saw the Red Ribbon Army before. Their reconstruction of Central City into a military fortress this well fortified is...impressive."

"Central City was the first place we attacked," Android 3 explained. "We managed to kill King Furry, and devastated a large portion of the city in the process. We had numbers, and our full might. But Goku and his allies managed to drive us back, and we fled. They saved the city. It was the beginning of a continuous cycle between our forces. It wasn't until Commander Red awakened Androids 17 and 18 that cities started to stay destroyed. We simply moved in and...built on top of the rubble. When we built a military complex this size, we filled it with drones and robots and fortifications to defend against anyone bold enough to attack. Now it's...full of people."

"Still a few robots," Nimu added.

Android 3 gave him a smile for his quip. She looked down at the people, soldiers, families, and friends. Survivors of an insurmountable threat that they endured for years, and finally overcame. "It's...nice, being surrounded by so much community. So much kinship."

"You didn't have that before?"

She looked passive as she recalled her fellow Red Ribbon Androids. The siblings only used them to get to Goku. They only loyalty was always to themselves. Though the same could be said of the others. Androids like 1, 6, and 9 were just as selfish, just as cold. Android 2 had loyalty to 1, and to Doctor Gero's dream. She believed Android 1 was Gero's perfect creation. Despite that, Android 2 fought to keep everyone safe, if only to keep their edge against Earth's Heroes. The only sibling she may have missed was 4, if only because she was informal, and easy enough to avoid her personality trigger, as long as she was happy and confident. They were often paired together, and they both grew to prefer things that way as well.

"Not really," 3 said. "We were all...incomplete, flawed. Only Doctor Gero knew how to fix our shortcomings. We grew older and weaker as the years went on. Our continued failures...drove us even further apart. Android 1 and 2 were always scheming something, undoubtedly to overthrow Android 9. The rest..."

"Had limited ambitions?"

"Something like that."

"You were wrong about something." She looked to him curiously as her mind ran through everything she had stated. Nothing came up incorrect by her calculations.

"Is this the part where your superior intelligence finally outplays me?"

Nimu smiled. "You said only Doctor Gero could fix your flaws. That was incorrect." She wasn't though. The preteens were all running on low batteries, all except 3, but the time of their destruction. Her intelligence made her unique among her siblings, but in the end, she was still just as flawed as the rest. "Why did Gero put me on standby, and say I was a failure?"

"You were becoming self aware, and you were curious, not violent."

"And my programming, my mind, was all based on?"

"Me." The realization hit her as soon as she answered. Her sudden awakening when she abandoned the Red Ribbon Army—the closest thing she had to community, it was all inevitable.

"You've come to the same self-awareness that I have," Nimu explained. "It just...took a little longer. You're not flawed. Your starting point was just further back than some of us."

"Hm...fascinating." Nimu continued to smile at how quickly she accepted her own sentience with a passive indifference. "Did you discuss Nico's full potential with her by the way?"

"She's discovered her healing factor, yes."

"And her potential to growth to become stronger?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but something suddenly alerted Nimu's sensors. The Androids looked up as something plummeted from the sky, and crashed into the ground, right in the middle of a crowd of people. There was a small panic, followed by several screams at whatever landed on the ground.

Android 3's eyes were filled with terror, and fixed on what stayed hovering in the sky above the crowd in the sky above. The tall, green figure suddenly dropped down to the ground, and frightened the people even more. "Nimu...is that—," Her answer came when he immediately jumped over the railing, toward the thing Android 3 could only assume was Cell.

It wasn't long before a pair of drones arrived, armed and approaching Cell. "Ah, my welcoming party." Cell blasted the drones down with his finger alone. The display caused the people to cry out and gasp in alarm. Several of them pulled out weapons, guns, blasters, and aimed at him. Cell disarmed and killed each person with a beam through their weapon of choice, and their chests. In a few cases, there were some injured and other casualties to those behind the attackers, as Cell's Death Beams pierced through anything in their path. More screams and cries echoed out. The display discouraged any more acts of retaliation. More importantly, it showed that there was no use in fighting back.

"Now," Cell called out. "Where can I find your leader? I have a special announcement that they're going to want to hear." Nobody answered. Cell frowned, "Nobody wants to speak up? Alright, then..." He turned, aiming his finger at a waiting casualty at random, "I've got some time to kill..."

"HEY!" Cell turned, letting his curiosity act at their mercy. A young woman with violet hair and blue eyes stepped forward. Her eyes almost reminded Cell of 17 and 18. "Our leader is dead. You killed her, didn't you?" There was a glint of resentment, and a hint of danger in her glare. A woman with a grudge.

Cell smiled, "Oh, did I? My mistake, I've killed so many it's difficult to keep track." He approached the human, who to her credit refused to back down.

"Wait!" Once again, he stopped and looked. This time, he saw a more familiar face that jumped over the crowd to come before Cell. Nimu stood in place under Cell's sight, with a minor expression of reservation and reluctance. Cell smiled in return, giving Nimu a moment to bask in his newfound perfection. "What...why are you here...?"

"Well, I'm here to deliver a message to the leader of this little operation," Cell explained. "Would you happen to give me a hand in finding that person, Nimu?"

He endured the petty joke, unable to do anything in such an impossible situation. Everyone was in danger, and nobody was trying to escape. They were all too curious about the tall bug-man, and the half an Android underneath Cell's feet. They didn't realize what danger they were all in.

"I...I'll deliver any message you want, Cell. You...you don't need to hurt anyone else here."

"I'd much rather speak to the person in charge. I want to make sure my message comes across as clearly as possible." Cell recognized another Android that came out of the crowd behind Nimu. He recognized all of his kin, even Android 3. "That being said, I don't like leaving a job half finished. Hm...or about one fifth maybe?" Cell shrugged and extended his finger at Nimu, and fired one more purple beam that left a smoking hole in the center of the young Android's forehead. The beam also tore through one woman's hip, another man's stomach, and one last soldier's shoulder. The survivors and witnesses were all gawking in horror as the Android they feared dropped to the ground, and the bystanders were shouting or whimpering in pain. "Hopefully that helps some of you understand what I'm all about."

The purple haired human's scowl bore harder on her face. She was the only one who wasn't in complete terror. Cell was disappointed with Android 3's look of guilt. A defective model indeed.

"NO!" Cell turned his head to the sound of an angry shriek. He caught sight of Nico lunging at him, and broke her strike with a lazy backhand. Her eyes burned with the anger and intensity that he was looking for.

Too bad she was equally defective as well.

Cell grabbed Nico by her throat before she could lash out more. She gave out a desperate, defiant gasp before he crushed her neck, and went limp in Cell's hand. He threw her at the feet of the crowd in front of him with a smile. Nico's body rolled across the dirt, and laid motionlessly, eyes lifeless.

"Damn, I should probably slow down some, huh 16?" Cell looked down at Gero's sympathetic bucket of bolts. If only the distraught father could see his fake son's hateful glare. "Oh don't be so mad 16, you forced my hand when you tried to blow me up."

"Cell!" The Bio-Android looked up one last time, and saw a fiery, blue haired woman who stood before him. He recognized her as Bulma, Goku's friend, mother of Trunks, and ally of Earth's Heroes. She stood firm, but was shaken by the threat she faced. Or perhaps it was just the fact that her brigade of support Androids were wiped out before her eyes. "I'm here. If you're going to kill anyone—,"

"Oh don't be so dramatic," Cell said. "You were better off without that junk heap, and Nico attacked me. As for 16, well, ask him why he ended up half of what he was, with a hole in his chest." Bulma grimaced at the sadistic delight Cell took in his cruelty. She was no stranger to such monsters. She was just usually further away from them. "Ah, right, my message. I've been convinced to give the Earth a bit of an extension before I decide to destroy everyone on this miserable little rock. The short version is, one week before I bring the end of the world to you." He moved his eyes across the crowd with a smile. "All of you...have one last week to live. Quite frankly, I don't care who stays and who goes, because after I destroy this place, I'm going to destroy the planet. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind at all crushing your little Resistance. After Gohan returns, that is."

They all waited for what would happen next. Cell smiled at the control he had over the entire crowd. They could fight. Many of them wanted to. But they all knew how any act of open defiance would end for them. Cell turned his focus back to Bulma, who waited just as tensely as the rest of them, despite being the Shepard of her flock of sheep.

"No questions?" Nobody said a word. Nobody wanted to respond to the monster. Cell's foot pressed down and crushed 16's head under his boot to capture his audience's full attention once more. Bulma jumped in fear, but kept her eyes away from the cybernetic carnage below. "Good. Now, I think it's time I help everyone else understand as well..."

The horror of his statement set in before he even raised his hand up. A yellow energy disc was summoned above his hand, met with a wicked sneer on his face. "GET DOWN!" She wasn't sure who to yell it at, but everyone around them was in danger. Cell turned and threw the Destructo Disc into the crowd at random, without care for who he may have targeted.

The people screamed in terror. Dozens of people scrambled out of the way as Cell sent the attack flying at a mob of innocents. Bulma watched as the people were saved by a blur that moved and caught the disc between their hands. Android 3's feet skidded across the dirt as flickers of energy were shaved off of the spinning Destructo Disc. Eventually, it ground itself into nothing in her hands.

The bystanders were speechless. Cell was amused by Android 3's efforts to spare the fodder from their fate, but just how much did she think she could accomplish on her own? "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one..." She said nothing. She only watched Cell and waited for him to make his next move. Her only plan was to stall his cruelty. At least she wasn't going to try and talk sense into him. "Fine then, if you want to die with the rest, you can."

Cell stared Android 3 in the eye as she prepared for his inevitable attack. However, he didn't aim at her. Instead, he fired to the side, toward the violet haired rebel, and several dozen more innocents that were in the way, as a beam of golden light tore from his palm. The people in danger screamed and scrambled to get out of the way. Android 3 moved as fast as she could—faster even, by the only way she knew how to. What little power she did have to spare, she used it to move in front of the blast—to shield the civilians with her body. There was a familiar rush as she moved at top speeds to block the golden beam. The little bit that remained of her energy was depleted, just as she moved in front of the attack. She watched through her crossed arms as the blast came rushing towards her. With only seconds left, Android 3 spent her last thoughts hoping for their safety.

A final, desperate thought.

Android 3's body was rooted to the ground, perfectly still and heavily stationed in place like a statue. By the time Cell's blast struck, she had already ran out of her energy reserves, a final bastion of defense to protect the people. The blast tore through her body, but the beam was split down the middle. She never had a chance of stopping the full blast, but her sacrifice did save some lives. Other casualties were inevitable in the wake of the explosion however.

Cell smiled as the smoldering remains of the failure tumbled across the ground, between two scorching paths of dead and injured people. The bystanders started to run away, screaming in terror. Only the brave, or truly foolish stayed behind with Bulma.

"Well darn, I guess I'll cut the slaughter short for today. Considering you're out of Androids, and possibly out an emperor, I guess I should stop picking at this particular wound." Bulma was trembling, but she did her best to maintain her defiance in front of the monster. It was just enough to garner Cell's attention. "Oh, you're right, one more, just to make sure Gohan gets the message." He had just the target in mind too.

Cell turned to face the violet haired girl, who was just as shaken and angry as Bulma. He aimed a finger at her, and gave the young soldier but a moment to process their impending demise. Just as Cell fired another Death Beam from his fingertip, a sudden surprise attack rocked him, and threw off his aim. The beam tore through Vi's chest, but missed a killshot. Cell's attacker rolled across the ground before righting themselves. He saw Nico stand before him again, doing her best to raise her head with a weak neck. More than anything, Cell was in fact delighted that he failed to kill all the other Androids, especially when one could apparently draw blood.

Nico finally raised her head up to show the furious glare she wore on her face. Cell wiped the trail of blood that ran from the corner of his mouth away with his thumb. "Good, that's what I like to see. And you might actually have some potential after all." He checked to make sure he got his final target, and confirmed she was bleeding on the ground. "Well, I think that's enough of a show for today, wouldn't you all agree?"

"You...monster..."

Cell reveled in Nico's disgust. He departed with a wave of his fingers, "Ta."

Nico collapsed to her knees, and threw her head back to howl furiously at the sky. Her screams carried far, and her grief was felt across everyone who lived through Cell's attack. When she couldn't scream anymore, Nico doubled over, her forehead pressed to her knees. Others started to arrive—soldiers and medics mostly, to tend to the wounded quickly. They moved so quickly around her that nobody noticed the young Android's choked sobs.

When the field was cleared of wounded, people saw the destruction, the carnage, right at the heart of their home. In the center of it, they saw a grief stricken girl, heartbroken and in pain. They saw a reminder of what loss was. A grim, cold reminder.

Bulma didn't fight her tears, but she struggled against her grief. She pushed through the tremor of fear that caused her hands and knees to shake, and made her way across the field of destruction. Now, all eyes were on both of them. Bulma knelt down and lifted Nico by her shoulders in an effort to bring her out of her grief—their loss. Nico's eyes flooded with tears, and her face was still twisted by anger.

She squeezed Nico's shoulders hard. "We're still alive." As she said it, her mind forced her to relive the terror and destruction that claimed so many lives. Bulma remembered Vi, who was hauled away clinging to life, and felt sick for what she said. But the survivors needed to be told the grim truth of the matter. "We're still here...and I swear," she shook Nico once through watery eyes, "we're going to make that son of a bitch pay, Nico." She sobbed—they both did. "He's going to pay..."

Nico threw herself into Bulma's shoulder and continued to sob. She held the broken girl in her arms as she cried and screamed her helpless frustration out. Bulma held her own tears at bay, focusing all of her pain and guilt and weakness into how best to make Cell pay for what he's done. Even while she planned for the future, Bulma wished and prayed for Gohan's return.

* * *

 **Ugh, finally got to posting this chapter. FINA-FREAKING-LY. So, thanks to anyone who stuck in there and came back after 5-6 months of absolutely no updates on this story, and go to read this far. The short version is more life stuff, along with personal stuff, and yeah, long stories nobody cares to hear about.**

 **I know I do this all the time too, but this is probably my least favorite chapter as far as writing goes. I almost completed it once, only to delete it all and start fresh, get halfway through, delete it all again, then cobbled...well, this together. I hope at least you guys enjoyed the read, but as the author I couldn't be...happier with it. I'll admit, I kinda got to a point where I just wanted this posted and over with. Just...blugh.**

 **So, moving on to the cliffhangers in the room. Cooler isn't dead, just broken. All the Androids except Nico, they're dead too (but not finished. No further comments). And Cell isn't hosting a tournament-he's leading an invasion. More on that later though. Next chapter is just kind of going to be the week of filler where everyone gets ready for Cell's approach, so there's that.**

 **Again, really sorry again for keeping you all waiting so long for a mediocre chapter that probably does deserve more attention, but meh. Thank you for reading this far, and in this case it's more appreciated than usual! And yay, closer to the end! Five more chapters, give or take. But hey, next chapter is filler-y, but I'm finally going to spend some time to talk about the Arcosian Royal Family! AT LAST! Including mother dearest, at last.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the read! It's appreciated, as always. Reviews go the extra mile to help fuel my addiction (even if I don't always reply, I do always read them all)**


	17. Chapter 17: One Week

_-Day One-_

" _This is an open broadcast to any and all surviving holdouts across Earth. My name is Bulma Brief, the now leader of the Resistance. Some of you know me as the Capsule Corporation heiress. Most of you know me today as the Overseer._

" _For years, I've tried to work with all of you—scattered crews, hidden communities, isolated militias, all across the planet. All in order to help you survive and maintain your independence and secrecy. But the time for hiding is over..._

" _We have been attacked by a terrifying new threat. Not the Devil's Pair, not the Red Ribbon Army, something...worse. Some of you may have experience with this threat. It has been preying on our people—consuming them to increase its own power. Its name is Cell...and he has threatened to destroy our world. And he has the power to do so._

" _This is not a hoax, or some sort of trick. This is the end of everything. Unless we come together to face this threat, we won't make it past the week. There's nothing to be gained separately. We only survive if we come together..._

" _Please...I know your first instinct is to run and hide. It's how we've survived. But the time for hiding is over. The time to stand and fight has come. The time to fight for our lives, for our families, our friends, our future is now. We stand together and fight as one, we fight for a better future for everyone...or we fall separately._

" _If you need to locate us, come to where Central City once stood. And don't be surprised by the robots. They're with us now."_

* * *

 _-Day Two-_

Silence reigned over the Lookout for hours now after humanity's resounding defeat. Even Hercule as the newfound Guardian couldn't find Cell on the planet below. Not that it would have made any difference. Cooler's men were the strongest Earth had, and they didn't stand a ghost of a chance against Cell. After they dropped their master's body off with the Resistance, Salza brought the others with him to the Lookout, both to wait for Gohan's time to run out, and to have Dore and Neiz go a round in the Time Chamber. If they were going down, Salza was going to ensure that the Armored Squadron exceeded their limitations.

Hercule didn't mind their presence. They left him to sulk and stew with their loss, just as each one of them did the same. It was a very long, lonely day for everyone, even for the Resistance down on Earth. Watching over them was the little bit of peace Hercule had in his isolation. They grieved for the lost, the wounded, of course. By the time the Armored Squadron had arrived, nearly an hour after the attack, the Resistance was already hard at work to rebuild what was destroyed. Over the years, humanity had learned to mourn in more productive ways. The best way to honor those lost was to push on and keep living for them. Now it was all coming to an end, and the people had never worked harder for their survival.

If anything, Hercule worried about how the Armored Squadron would fare after what they had witnessed. Their lord, their king was broken and humiliated before them by an impossible force. He had no idea how they would deal with it once Cooler awakened, or how they were handling things now. But they were ready to continue the fight to the very end, and that alone was enough for Hercule to respect the three men.

Hercule and Salza looked to the sanctuary entrance and waited, after they sensed their emergence. Gohan and Trunks stepped out, both in Super Saiyan form, in ragged, custom made clothes that Mister Popo had left for them. Gohan's body had bulked up a bit more in the Time Chamber, and Trunks had grown a few more inches, and had his hair long enough that it needed to be tied in a small ponytail. Hercule could also sense the dramatic change in their powers, as well as their personal growth in the Time Chamber. It didn't take long for Gohan and Trunks to read the mood of their crowd.

"What happened...?"

Salza stepped forward, but looked toward Dore and Neiz, "Go. Quickly." They nodded and followed Mister Popo inside the Lookout so they could have their turn in the Time Chamber. Salza stood before Gohan with his gaze cast down with guilt and shame. "Cooler...did not stop Cell. He attained his perfect form."

"What happened to the Resistance?" Trunks didn't wait for an answer and blasted off. His immediate recklessness only made Gohan more anxious for an answer.

"Zhey are alive, but—,"

"He attacked us, Gohan," Hercule said. "Cell is going to return in six days to finish the job. He's giving us a week to prepare."

Gohan didn't even try to question the reasoning behind Cell's insanity, but he gained some relief that there was at least a home to return to. "What happened to Cooler...?"

Salza grimaced in disgust. "He spent too long playing wizh Cell, and paid zhe price for it. He's alive, but still under, in zhe Resistance's care."

Gohan gave them a nod before he blasted off to pursue Trunks. He still had time to catch up with his ward. His mind raced, but Gohan refused to pin himself to any particular hope or prayer. He knew all along that this was a risk, but it was unavoidable.

He did hope that it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

The Resistance opened their gates to a small convoy, one that most of their soldiers didn't recognize, but nobody was going to question the orders of the Overseer. It helped to relieve any paranoia to see the old Capsule Corporation logo on the side of the vehicles, albeit worn down and scratched up over the years. Bulma herself waited to greet the main convoy at the front door. A woman in a long, blue jacket sporting a custom shotgun stepped off of the truck and moved forward to greet Bulma.

"I thought you said you didn't want this job," the black haired woman said with a smile.

Bulma returned the smile, happy to see her old friend that she greeted with a hug. "My hand was forced," she explained. "It's good to see you, Mai."

The two women stepped back as Mai's group started to unload the contents of their convoy—a wide assortment of tech and weapons. The Resistance stared and gawked a fair bit at the resources Mai brought with her. "Well, I couldn't very well sit around and do nothing with the fate of the world at stake. Besides, it's not like Pilaf is going to miss this stuff. Hasn't for years now."

Bulma was always curious what Mai ended up doing to her former boss, but never did get around to asking. Probably better that she didn't know. Her community was built from the bones of Pilaf's organization, or whatever it was that the self proclaimed emperor was in control of. Mai took over shortly after the world ended, and turned everything into a self sustaining group of scavengers. It didn't take long before she crossed paths with the Overseer, although Bulma swore herself to secrecy. In exchange, Mai freely supplied and traded with her, which in turn helped the Resistance for years. Groups like the Furry Force were why Mai wanted to remain secret. She wanted to help of course, but not everybody wanted to fight in the war against the Androids.

The number of extra Battle Jackets that Mai's group brought with them gave Bulma some level of extra comfort. Maximum defense and offense for their people, or at least for those skilled enough to pilot the mighty mechs. "Your people...?"

"They know the stakes, and they volunteered," Mai said simply. She turned and saw the guilt written on Bulma's face. "They heard the broadcast for themselves. I promise, I didn't hold a gun to anyone's head."

"And some of us have never been to Central City before!" Bulma turned to the enthusiastic voice, and saw a familiar young scavenger girl with a pack slung over her back step off the last truck. "Though I did expect something more...urban."

"Don't be a brat." Mai hooked her arm around the girl's neck as she scolded her. Bulma smiled as Mai's daughter managed to pull her head out from her mother's lock. She ignored the piercing feeling that ran through her heart when she remembered that Trunks was still missing. The Armored Squadron said he was safe, but failed to elaborate before dropping another terrible reminder in their laps. "Bulma, you remember my daughter, Sho?"

"How could I forget a genius like her?" Bulma's first actual visit to Mai's compound ended with a small firefight, thanks to Sho accidentally reactivating a combat drone inside their home. Thankfully, nobody was injured that day, but it certainly left a lasting impression of the girl's curiosity and brilliance. "You can tinker with the drones all you want now. They're harmless."

Sho's eyes lit up as a greedy grin spread over her face. "Which how did you even manage? The amount of time it would take to subvert their primary programming and implement new commands, not to mention coding their new functions—which if you only tampered with the original groundwork I guess wouldn't take too long to do, but then—,"

"I had help," Bulma finally said, stopping the girl's tangent in its tracks. "We...actually managed to find more Androids that were willing to help. Android 3 actually helped me reprogram and reformat everything left behind by the Red Ribbon Army for our use." There was no doubting, or judging, the concern on Mai and Sho's faces. Android 3 was a dutiful killing machine of the Red Ribbon Army for over a decade. "It's...complicated. But she and a few other Androids that helped us were...they were killed by Cell, trying to defend us. You won't find a single person among the Resistance who will tell you anything else."

Mai recognized Bulma's pain and frustration. Any Android that allied with them would have been a great asset. "I've trusted you with crazier shit before," Mai said. The look her daughter shot up at her left the poor girl confused.

"I honestly don't know what time you're referring to, but I'll take your word for it."

A strong gust of wind suddenly rushed over the area, blowing against Mai and several others. She aimed up with her shotgun, but lowered it when she saw a golden haired figure drop down from the sky. Mai was rather surprised that Gohan was a few feet shorter than before, only to realize that the Super Saiyan that touched down was none other than Trunks himself. She looked at Bulma, who wore a look of relief and joy as she ran towards her boy.

Trunks turned his head when he caught sight of her. "Mom!"

"Trunks!" Bulma dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Trunks, holding onto him and refusing to let go. He hugged her back, relieved that she was safe and sound. Bulma leaned back, her hands still on the Super Saiyan's shoulders. "Your hair it's all...y-you became a..." She stopped and looked Trunks over from head to toe. "Did...did you get taller?!"

"Right," Trunks said as he suddenly recalled, "we didn't tell you what we were doing. Um...it's kind of a long story, mom."

Moments later, Gohan descended into the clearing of people. Excitement immediately coursed through the crowd when they saw their hero return. Gohan could only stare at the recent damage done to their compound, undoubtedly Cell's doing.

Bulma managed to pull herself away from her son when she saw Gohan. "We...there was nothing we could do..."

Gohan took one look at his people and saw the worry, the fear that griped them. They expected him to have the answers, and he barely even knew what was going on. "Come on," Gohan offered as he tilted his head toward the nearest building, somewhere he wouldn't feel like a public spectacle. Trunks walked with his mother as they both followed Gohan.

Bulma stopped in front of Mai and motioned for her to follow. Gohan and Trunks both saw, and neither of them knew who the other woman was. "She's a friend. She's a natural leader, too."

"The name is Mai," she said, stepping forward. "This is my daughter, Sho. We can talk more inside." Gohan gave the newcomer a smile and nodded in agreement with her.

* * *

Salza's grunts and cries carried across the Lookout as he moved and struck at an imaginary opponent. With Dore and Neiz in the Time Chamber, the Saiyans tending to their people, and Cooler still under, Salza had to make due with striking at the air. Sitting still wasn't an option, not after yesterday's events. Unless he was moving, Salza's mind tortured him with memories of Cooler's utter, sound defeat at the hands of some manmade abomination.

His master's failure fueled him harder, to fight faster, hit harder. The strongest in the universe, the firstborn of the noble hero, Arctriza, defeated by a glorified, bipedal petri dish. Nothing made sense anymore, nothing as long as Salza stood still.

All of it seemed so foolish. Salza grew up hearing tales of the noble Arctriza, many of which he believed to be fact after his first personal encounter with the Frieza Force. Cooler was the closest thing the universe had to a fair and just Arcosian anymore. In the end, he was no better than the family he himself called a disgrace. Every 'mindless drone' that served Frieza and Cold were little better than slaves that were given a big stick and told to do whatever they wanted. Thugs, criminals, murderers, pirates, they were the types that made up the bulk of the Frieza Force, and even Cold's private faction.

Cooler always planned for his most trusted followers to serve at his side when he took his birthright—the royal throne. That was always why he moved with such a small unit of soldiers handpicked and trusted by Cooler himself. It helped to serve the ego of those who had joined the Armored Squadron, just so they could service an even grander ego. And now all there was to show for their loyalty and dedication was being deserted on a doomed planet.

Salza still wasn't quite sure what to make of their predicament as a whole. Overall, there were far worse places in the universe to die. Earth had its charms but it had the misfortune of being tucked away in the furthest corner of a backwater system. The planet's Lookout in particular was a unique place that Salza had never seen before anywhere else. The Time Chamber, even more unique. The secrets that Earth's history must have held left Salza to wonder, when his mind wasn't dragging him back to why he was angry in the first place.

"You should take a break." Salza landed on the Lookout's surface smoothly before he turned to the newly christened Guardian of the Earth. It was some title of pseudo-deity status, that much was recognizable, but the 'Guardian' was less capable of protecting his own world than the Armored Squadron were. "You've been bouncing around since you've been up here."

"I've had to endure worse," Salza stated with a bitter snuff. "And it helps me to focus."

"Seems like it's just making you angrier." He wasn't wrong. But there was nothing for Salza to hit for him to vent his anger properly. "You know, I was actually champion in this uh...it was a world tournament. I was a fighter too."

"You?" Hercule laughed first as he took a few steps closer to Salza. "I suppose anyzhing is possible on zhis planet."

"I uh...well, before the world started going downhill, I had a lot of anger too. Took care of it with fighting, boasting...pretending to be someone I wasn't. Then the world started to end, and there was no time for any of that. We had to focus on surviving every minute of every day. It was awful—almost impossible some days, but...it helped remind me of what was important." Salza restrained his own bitterness to hear the man out. "We were alive. And as long as we have that, we have a fighting chance. You still have your comrades at your side, and my people...well, they don't give up. And we're ready to fight with you...again."

Salza couldn't help but smirk in the prideful tone that Hercule took in his people. The people of Earth were particularly resilient for such soft creatures. But their numbers meant little in the wake of Cell's power. "I suppose you may have a point," Salza admitted as his smile dropped. "Zhere is time to make plans. Gohan can even use zhe Time Chamber again to ensure our victory." He then realized what the source of his anger was stemming from. Loyalty paid to his master, and all he had to show for it was death in a small corner of the universe, fighting for little more glory than to save his own life. To fight another day.

It wasn't often that Salza had to worry about living day after day. It was much more unnerving than he cared to admit. For a moment, he wondered how such an ordeal affected Cooler, only to shove the thought to the side. Salza put his mind to one singular focus—to outlive Cell.

* * *

She was the last one now. The broken, shattered remains of Nimu, Android 3, and Android 16 were placed on separate tables, hidden beneath white tarps on large operating tables. Nico sat in a chair, slouched over ever since they were placed there. She couldn't even remember if she had blinked in the hours that dragged by in the dark, lonely laboratory.

All she could think of was their merciless, sudden executions at the hand of the monstrous Cell. They were just props for Cell to use to showcase his brutality. As if injuring and slaughtering a dozen more innocents wasn't enough—as if the threat of extinction wasn't enough. Cell was a heartless monster, created by a psychotic madman. The craziest fucking man ever to walk the Earth.

What did that make her though? Nimu deduced that every Android created by Doctor Gero served as a stepping stone to Cell's evolution. Android 1's bio-mechanical nature, Android 2's upgrades that infused Arcosian technology based on their unique physiology. Android 3's advanced mind designed to break down and mimic the fighting style of the Z Fighters. Androids 4 through 8 ranged from early power generating, to personality balancing, to speed and strength moderating. Commander Red and Staff Officer Black—Androids 9 and 10, and Nico herself, Android 11, were the first stepping stones of humans turned into Androids. She was the final prototype in Gero's notes—13, 17, and 18 were 'perfect' human models built upon her original design. Nimu's brain was an upgrade to what Android 3's eventually evolved into—with designs based on her, and made to copy the specific techniques of the Z Warriors. Although Gero shut him down before completing those designs in him. Android 13 was the first test of Android fusions, with 14 and 15 being further stepping stones in how far Gero could push his creations, while simultaneously being compatible with Android 13's components. Lapis and Lazuli's purpose went without saying.

Energy absorption, limitless power and stamina, analyzing and mimicking fighting styles and techniques, Android fusion and enhancement, the combination of metal and flesh—they were all just broken pieces to what Cell was meant to become. Nico wasn't even a fraction of that true potential. She was just a failed, broken doll—a sick girl with an expiration date that was extended thanks to one ambitious psychopath. Now she was a footnote for a genocidal green monster's power.

Nico's thoughts were interrupted by the shadows that moved over the side of her vision. She turned her head and looked up at Bulma, her son, and Gohan. The Saiyans looked at the covered remains. Only a beat later and Gohan turned to her with a solemn, apologetic look.

"Are you...okay?"

She scoffed with a bitter, tired smirk. The only other person to care beside Bulma. Not that concern mattered at this point. "We couldn't stop him." The fact that she couldn't cry just reminded her all the more that she was just an artificial doll. That each and every one of them were just...things. "Nothing we could do...Android 16 was stronger than us...Nimu, 3, they were smarter than anyone...and nothing could stop him."

"From what I hear, you've got a mean right hook," Gohan said, with a light smile in his voice. The memory of her fist shattering Cell's jaw brought Nico some level of comfort. But he still left with a smile. "Vi is still alive because of you."

"She's in critical condition."

"But she's alive."

"And she wants to see you," Bulma told her, again. Nico was having enough trouble pulling herself away from one failure, she couldn't bear the sight of a second.

"Bulma...told me about Nimu's theory that connects the Androids to Cell. She also caught me up to speed on Doctor Gero's notes." Nico continued to stare vacantly, waiting for Gohan to reach his point. "You're still very much human. But your enhancements mean you have room for improvement, right?"

She pulled herself away to stare back at the remains of the others. "It won't be enough." She would never be as strong as them, or as smart as they were. " _I_ won't be enough."

"According to Gero, any Android with your makeup can improve. The fact that you managed to catch Cell off guard—,"

"Was a fluke. I'm still just a...prototype—,"

"So you're just giving up?" Nico yanked her head up sharply when Trunks stepped into her line of sight. It suddenly hit her that she had overlooked Trunks' transformation while brooding in her own grief. "Are you?" That was the straightest question—the only question that mattered. That was never an option. None of them would have stopped now.

"No..." How could she? After all that they had lost, after what Android 3 sacrificed for humanity's safety and security, how could any of them just give up?

"Then you can show that by going to visit Vi."

* * *

There were more than a few people staring as Nico walked with Gohan. Not one of them looked at her with skepticism or hatred though. The majority of them seemed to be more...curious, or even concerned. Nico wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet.

Gohan opened the doors to the medical wing. Nico's throat closed up when she saw how many people were still injured and being treated. She followed Gohan to the back of the wing, towards the ICU. It was an even more grim picture inside. More bodies were covered than there were among the living. It infuriated her just to remember Cell's cruelty. She couldn't imagine how Gohan felt to just walk into it all.

They continued to the very back of the ICU, where they found Vi lying in bed, pale with dark circles under her eyes. Nico could tell immediately that Vi had lost too much blood. The girl stirred and opened her hazy blue eyes on the pair. "Oh...hey."

"I heard you wanted to talk." Nico forced herself to step into the room, despite the tremors that threatened her legs. "Is there anything I can do to help...?"

She gave a withered smile and shook her head. "You've done enough for us. I just...I wanted to apologize for not giving any of you a chance before...before this..."

All she could remember was the monster's smile—his god forsaken, amused laughter at their pain and suffering. "You had more than enough reasons. I understand that completely now."

"You...none of them are like that monster. Bulma was right to give you three a chance..." It was nothing short of an honor from the mascot of the Resistance. Nico's chest twisted in guilt and shame that she was helpless. "You do whatever you've got to...so you can make that son of a bitch pay for what he's done."

"I'm gonna be training her," Gohan said. "She's tough, but she can still become stronger. She might even give me a run for my money soon." Nico smiled, despite herself, pushing it away with a scoff. She looked back up at Vi, who held onto her smile.

"Judging from that attack she landed...yeah, I'd say she's a tough girl." Her smile lingered the second time. "Who knows...maybe we can build our own Androids some day...?"

"Hopefully ones that won't be programmed for revenge," Gohan teased.

"Maybe..." Nico's mind kicked into overdrive, tearing through her memories of Cell's carnage—pushing past that and into her state of blind grief.

"Nico?"

The girl snapped out of her trance at once. "Wh-what? Sorry..."

"Are you okay...?" Vi asked.

Nico looked at her and gave a small nod of her head. "Y-yeah, I was just...i-it's nothing."

"The world is gonna end in a week...and you want to keep secrets?" Nico gawked a bit at the dying girl's rather blunt response. She looked up at Gohan, who just shrugged.

"I..." She looked at Vi, allowing her mind to explore rather dangerous territory. "You...you might be right. We...we might be able to build another Android..."

* * *

"Are you serious?! How could you even consider something like that!?"

"I told you this wasn't going to end well," Gohan muttered toward Nico. All and all, he has seen Videl angrier before, but this was a dangerously close second. "Videl, look, it's just an option we're bringing to the table."

"An option?! You want to turn Vi into a fucking Android!"

"And that's the worst thing in the world, apparently," Nico responded bitterly. Videl glared her way, but remained silent before she said anything else. Though she wasn't fully trusting of the Androids at first, even the most staunch individuals couldn't deny their sacrifice. Nobody forgot the grief Nico showed when Cell left the Resistance devastated. "I just...we want to know every advantage we can get, don't we? Like Gohan said, I'm just...bringing the option to the table."

There were varied reactions across said table. Bulma's mind worked away just to figure out if such an endeavor would be possible, but her brow knitted and pulled from time to time when she wrestled with the morality of such an feat. Trunks stared down at his boots with a passive frown on his face. Videl was still upset and angry, but was doing her part to stay her tongue. The other leaders, Mai, Sho, and Aoi also wrestled with the option.

While the Androids were broken and shattered, they were far from obliterated. With the parts and components left over, they had enough to create a stable Android based on Gero's designs. The problem was there wasn't nearly enough...anatomy to piece everything together in a single form. A human with Android augmentations was easier to create than a fully synthetic Android from leftover parts and scraps.

"I know it's...a lot to think about," Nico said. "I...I don't even like considering it. When I was human I...I had this disease that was going to kill me. Gero found me, lied to my parents and..." She tensed her fists, drawing herself back before her anger consumed her. "It...it should be Vi's choice to agree to it or not. All I'm asking is...do we even want to consider telling her?"

"Yes." Nico turned sharply to Trunks. He lifted his head up and looked firmly at everyone in the room. "If Vi has the option to fight, she's going to take it. I say we tell her about this and leave the choice to her."

"I agree," Gohan added. "Vi's been with the Resistance since Launch first created it. She should choose if she wants to go quietly or not for her people." Nico was rather shocked to have both Saiyan heroes backing her.

"Does our vote matter a lot?" Sho, a young girl from their newest arrivals, asked. "Because...strategically speaking, having another Android on our side is a game changing variable. And if we have the strongest and smartest components then—,"

"We would need to go over everything again." All eyes turned to the Overseer. Bulma had her eyes shut, knuckle tapping thoughtfully against her chin. "Just to make sure we could even...attempt something like this." She opened her eyes, filled with concern, on Nico. "If we do...if we _could_ do this, then I vote we tell her."

"And that more or less steals my vote," Mai chimed. "I'm not going to pretend like I have any say on what happens to this girl, but I trust Bulma's judgment."

"As do I," Aoi stated. "Even weakened, I was no match for Android 3. With the resources the Resistance has, and without crippling its potential, a new Android would be a powerful ally."

Videl groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Everyone waited for her vote, even though she really didn't want to say it. "Fine..."

In spite of the unanimous vote, Nico still felt her stomach twist around in guilty knots. "After Bulma does a check of what we have...like she said, this might just be impossible."

"Moving onto other matters then." Mai dropped a rolled up map on the table and spread it over the surface for everyone to see. On the map she had already marked certain locations and spots with a red marker. "These are other holdouts we know about. Any others coming to us would radio ahead, but some crews may need some convincing."

"We can send drones out to scout and secure the regions," Bulma suggested.

"No, that'll just spook people. They need to see humans, not robots. After the message you sent out, there's gonna be a lot of scared people."

"My fighters can provide escort," Aoi offered. "They are highly trained, and without equal."

Mai nodded to the big, wigged lizard. "Thanks. My people will appreciate the backup."

"What other options do we have to strengthen ourselves against Cell?" Gohan asked. Legions of drones were great and all, but useless even in superior numbers to the monstrous Cell.

"Weapons," Bulma said. All eyes turned back to her. "I do remember going through, and Android 3 and Nimu both had some sort of...bomb inside of them. I could repurpose those into something more focused, more controlled."

"How powerful are those bombs?" Gohan asked

"Let's just say that you would definitely lose an arm. In the best case scenario."

"Me and some of my warriors can start scouting and training potential new recruits," Aoi offered. "I'm not sure how far we can get in a week, but having more sharp fighters wouldn't hurt either."

"Sounds like a great plan. Get started on that." Gohan dared to smile in front of the others, inspiring a few more to meet his expression. "Cell won't know what hit him when he comes back. We'll be ready this time."

* * *

 _-Day Three-_

 _Frieza snickered as he pushed down on his brother's skull, grinding his face into the floor. "Enough." The miniature sadist lifted his foot and took a few steps away._

 _Cooler raised his head, his nose broken, face covered in bruises and scars, his blood running down his face, with one eye swollen shut. Still, his glare managed to pierce his arrogant father, sitting on the Arcosian throne like it was his._

" _Oh dear," Cold murmured. "Still such a hateful stare." The muscles in Cooler's body tore and screamed as he moved to stand up. His one eye continued to fix directly on his twisted father. "I give you a chance to live, a chance to serve me in my new kingdom, and you want to try and kill me? Tell me, child, what is it then? The fact I gave your inheritance to your little brother? I think this little display has proven that he's more worthy. He's stronger than you, tenfold, and hasn't trained a day in his life. Why should you be the future Emperor of the Universe?"_

" _Y-you..." Cold, Frieza, and their little entourage started to laugh at the broken, shamed prince. The image of his mother's execution would not leave his mind. Murdered, in cold blood, by a weak, pitiful, lesser being. "You...are an arrogant...stupid...worthless..." Cold's smile faded quickly, as Cooler took a step forward with each insult. "Undeserving...cowardly..." The prince stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to his dead mother's throne—his throne, staring daggers up at Cold. "Pile of SHIT!"_

 _In an instance, Cooler was suddenly lifted off the ground, not breathing, and face-to-face with his father. Cold wrapped his entire hand around his son's little neck, threatening to break it with just an ounce more of pressure. Cooler's one eye was wide, his legs flailing helplessly as his giant of a father glared back at his son._

" _You do not address your father, the king, in that—,"_

 _Cooler shouted, driven by fury, fired a single laser from his eye that blasted Cold in the center of the head. The would-be king cried out, and then slammed his son straight into the ground with all of his might. Cooler shattered the stone floor beneath him, bouncing off of it and into the air. Before he could drop, Cold kicked the prince across the throne room, where he crashed through a solid stone pillar._

 _A fresh mark adorned the king's brow, but it was far from strong enough to pierce through his skin. It burned like hell, however, and was enough to incite Cold's wrath. "Frieza..."_

" _Yes papa?"_

 _Cold smiled as Cooler shifted slightly, proof that he was still breathing. He looked down at his youngest son, as the boy joined his side."As the future emperor...how would you deal with this traitorous subordinate?"_

 _Frieza snickered as he turned his head back to his pathetic brother. "Well, daddy, I think the most reasonable thing to do would be to kill him. He's clearly deranged, and even had the gall to attack you." Cold's lips pulled up in a sadistic smile as he pointed a single finger across the room, aimed precisely at Cooler. "However..." The king gave pause, looking back to Frieza. "I think it would be much more cruel to leave him alive." The youngest son, the new heir, grinned at his broken brother. "Mommy's little brat can live and whine and stew for the rest of his life, watching you and I rule the universe!"_

 _Their soldiers laughed. Frieza laughed. Cold just smiled._

 _He hated them—all of them. They were all without honor, without a single shred of morality, of basic fucking dignity. His anger, frustration, and powerlessness finally got the better of him, breaking into grief that ripped his heart to shreds. He wanted his mother. Arctriza would have quelled this coup before it started, had she not been blindsided by Cold's takeover. The strongest being in the universe, cut down by an ambitious coward. She deserved better. She deserved to be avenged._

 _Cooler shouted in grief and rage, sweeping his eye laser across the ceiling. Half of the throne room came crashing down, providing a brand new skylight, and giving the shamed prince an exit. He flew headlong into the frigid winds of Arcose, flying higher and higher, further and further away from the kingdom that should belong to him._

 _He would find a way. Frieza and Cold would both be dead by the hands of Arctriza's son, the true king. Cooler vowed to let nothing stop him. Not until the traitors of Arcose were dead at his feet, and Cooler seated on the throne. It was his destiny, his birthright. Frieza and Cold had to die._

* * *

The shamed monarch awoke slowly, his body aching all over like never before. He remembered everything. His defeat at Cell's hand, his nightmare—they were inescapable. He didn't even bother questioning what sick reason Cell left him alive for. Cooler sat up with a wince as searing bolts of pain tore through his sides. He looked down at his body and saw the scars and injuries that he survived. He remembered the cause and pain of each one, and they burned as though they were still new when he looked at them. His bio-armor was cracked or broken entirely in some areas, and his skin darkened with bruises, burns, and cuts that were all on the mend.

He thought to call for the Armored Squadron, but he could not sense them. Perhaps Cell decided to kill them instead for some cruel purpose? Did that itself even matter?

His thoughts circled the empty, dark echoes in his mind. His ambitions, his dreams all seemed like a cruel joke now. Fate took Cooler's every effort and threw them back in his face. His kingdom, his pride, his power, they were all stolen from him, made meaningless all at once. Frieza, King Cold, Goku, and now Cell, all of them were instruments of fate to deny Cooler his rightful destiny.

 _I count my blessings every day to know you didn't inherit your father's arrogance, my Icling._

Cooler closed his eyes and did his best to ignore the knife in his heart, until the feeling, the memories went away. And they did not.

 _But I see that drive in you...and it worries me, son..._

He tried harder to push his mother's voice away, but it only invited the mixed, mocking laughter of Cooler's personal nightmares. His mind played the memories of his defeat at Cell's hand, his family's betrayal, and worst of all...

Empress Arctriza, with a surprise Death Beam piercing her heart from behind, before her body was thrown from the palace balcony.

Cooler's mind snapped him back to reality with a small, forceful burst of power. He didn't even realize until a moment later that someone had entered the tent.

"O-oh!" The wind blew past a frightened, orange haired female. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you I—,"

"You did not scare me," Cooler stated to her in a surprisingly soft voice. He looked down at his palms as if they held the answers he was looking for. He sat in perfect silence and ignored the human.

"Um...I can find Gohan for you, sir, if you—,"

"How long has it been?" The frightened human jumped at Cooler cutting her off yet again. He looked over at her. "How long was I unconscious?"

"You've been under for only a day. I'm...astonished that you healed so quickly."

It was an insult that he was allowed to live in the first place. "What happened? Who brought me here?"

The woman hesitated, but not out of fear of Cooler. He didn't recognize the look that registered on her face. "Cell...he attacked us. Killed nearly thirty of us." Cooler recognized such tactics from Frieza's campaigns. He would make an appearance, make an dramatic display of his cruelty, and expect the people to submit. "After that, he said he would come back in a week and that we should be ready for a fight."

Supreme arrogance at its finest. Not that Cooler had any room to speak. His actions brought everyone to this point. "The Super Saiyan—Gohan, what has he made of this?"

"Um...he's agreed that a united front against Cell is better than provoking him."

Cooler gave a thoughtful hum to her answer. A united front, rather than fracturing their forces. It gave them time to prepare and plan for Cell's attack. Most importantly, it was easier to defend a fortress than it was to attack, even for someone like Cell. And the Resistance had proved itself a more capable force than a legion of mindless drones—which they also controlled.

Without another word, Cooler finally forced himself out of bed, and past the earthling woman. Once he was outside, Cooler lifted off of the ground and took off into the sky. His place was not with the Resistance. There was no place on Earth meant for him.

* * *

With a bird's eye view, Cooler could see the reconstruction efforts that had been made since the initial assault by the Resistance. Most of the destruction to the main complex was fixed, and the newer damage was easy to spot from above. The drones and people moved hurriedly, with purpose. He took a moment to watch them before he flew away.

Many of the outposts furthest away were being broken down for salvage, to increase defenses back at the main complex. The ones closer to home were being fortified and enhanced. He could even see the once impressive Iron Line being torn down from the initial entry point he created during the assault he led on the Red Ribbon Army. It already felt like an eternity ago.

Cooler stopped halfway to the massive wall when he felt a familiar energy signature approaching from Resistance HQ. He stopped and waited for the Super Saiyan to catch up to him. In just under a minute, Gohan arrived in his orange gi. Neither warrior said a word to each other—they only stared and waited in the stillness that surrounded them. Cooler could sense the staggering progress Gohan had made. He would undoubtedly provide a better challenge for Cell, as he wasn't blinded by pride.

Most upsetting was the lack of anger or outrage in Gohan's eyes as he looked at Cooler. Part of him wanted to lash out at the filthy monkey for showing him any form of pity, but Gohan was the one dealing with the fallout of Cooler's foolishness.

"You're welcome to stay here," Gohan finally said.

Cooler said nothing to the Saiyan's offer of kindness. After a beat, he shook his head, "There's no place for me here among your people." Not after he was the one who doomed them all. "You're not using the Time Chamber again?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Gohan answered honestly. "I want to be here with my people in case Cell decides to break his deal. Speaking of..."

"I have no intention of going after him on my own." It was the only reason to follow him, that or to make sure he wasn't going to blow the planet up himself.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere quiet," Cooler replied. He had one place in mind, since he had free time before the end of days. Once again though, Gohan's kindness was uncomfortable for Cooler to accept at face value. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter, however. "Salza and the others, are they—,"

"They saved you and brought you in to us. After that, Salza took Dore and Neiz to the Lookout. He's up there still waiting if you wanted to—," Cooler just shook his head. For all the boasting he made about his power, and he was the one who failed his men in the end. _A king worthy of nothing._ "Can we count on you...in six days?"

The pain of his wounds was still a very fresh memory. His anger and frustration focused on the memory of Cell, and the humiliation he endured because of him. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." Broken or not, Cooler never planned to go down without a fight.

Gohan smiled at the brooding Arcosian. "Kind of funny isn't it? Forced to work together."

"Again." Cooler looked out toward the nearest fortification that was being worked on in the very fields where he and Gohan fought the Devil's Pair side-by-side. He was brought to Earth on a quest for vengeance, which quickly devolved into a scramble for survival. And all of it hinged around the son of the man he was sworn to kill. "This planet has become quite a thorn in my side."

"Still better than what it is for your family." That dark thought brought a smirk to his lips, finally. Gohan floated forward with his hand extended toward Cooler. "For whatever it's worth, your help has been appreciated. You've given us this much extra time, for however much it's worth."

Cooler moved his gaze up from Gohan's hand. Still, the Super Saiyan had no hint of remorse or anger on his face. Just some foreign expression Cooler didn't recognize, nor trust. "My arrogance has potentially doomed your people, and you have think I've done you a favor?"

Gohan lowered his hand and shrugged. "What if you hadn't shown up? I'd be stuck between the Red Ribbon Army and the Devil's Pair, completely oblivious to Cell. Not to mention the other half of the Red Ribbon Android lineup that was still in hiding."

"None of that excuses my actions. As I am, I'm not different than the rest of my wretched family." The Saiyan said nothing. Cooler didn't expect him to say anything. "My people...the Arcosians...they die with me. And I will not die quietly." He looked back to Gohan and held his fixed stare on him. "I will overcome my burdens. But I must do so alone."

Gohan offered a friendly smile. "I don't think your family would have been quite as honest there."

Cooler gave a careless shrug. "It won't make a difference in hindsight if we can't survive. But regardless...I'll be here when the time comes."

The Super Saiyan nodded his head, and his smile persisted. "Whatever you're looking for, I hope you find it. For whatever it's worth, I know having you here will make the difference." Gohan's smile widened, "It already has so far."

Cooler felt a mixture of disgust, and gratitude as he stared at the man who was supposed to be his rival. Ever since his arrival, Cooler had never shown Gohan the slightest bit of dignity, gratitude, or even respect. His mind was split on whether or not to consider his kindness to be a idiocy, or perhaps a sign that he was just the better man.

There was nothing more that needed to be said between the two warriors. Cooler turned his back to Gohan and flew north. The hero hovered in the air as he watched Cooler disappear into the horizon, before he finally turned to go back home.

* * *

As soon as he landed back home, Videl came running toward him. "Gohan! Gohan, you have to hurry!" His chest tightened with worry at any number of possibilities that could go wrong. Judging from Videl's face though, there was likely one thing happening. "Vi...she's..."

"Let's go!" They ran together toward the medical wing as quickly as they could.

* * *

The others were already in her room—Bulma, Trunks, and Nico. Videl was already out of breath by the time they came pushing through the doors of the ICU. The young soldier's head rolled heavily to look at the both of them. They both knew that Vi's condition was poor. The shot meant to kill her only missed by centimeters. It was a crippling shot, to be sure, and she lost too much blood to begin with. The burns and scorching hole in her chest...there wasn't much that could be done for that. Despite all their resources and intelligence, the Red Ribbon Army had very little in terms of actual medical advancements. There was so little that was their own to begin with.

"Everyone's here...g-good..." Vi put on a brave smile as Gohan moved next to Nico. "So...I'm...not...it doesn't look like I'm gonna make it..." Gohan looked at Bulma, but her eyes were glued to Vi, filled with grief and pain. "I...agreed to the procedure. I just...have one request."

"Anything," Nico quickly said.

"I want to go," she spoke, softly, almost fearfully. "I...I don't want to be raised from the dead." She moved her eyes up to Gohan, then to Videl, and finally to Bulma. "I want to see the Boss again. There are a lot of people I want to see...and...if that's the case, th-then there's no reason not to...to use someone else's brain, right?"

The proposal was...shocking, and twisted at Nico's heart. "W-wait you mean...y-you mean...Android 3, o-or Nimu?"

Vi nodded weakly. "It...it'll work out better that way, w-won't it...? Android mind running an Android body..." She winced in pain, then gasped softly. Everyone around her tensed up at once when she eased back. "Make...make her...the biggest...badass...possible," Vi affirmed. "Give our...hero here a...r-run for his money." Gohan smiled at Vi, one last time.

She suddenly winced and shifted towards her wound with one final, pained gasp. Everyone flinched, ready to do something, until they realized there was nothing to do. Vi shifted back to to the side, eyes empty as a final rasp slipped past her lips. Bulma pressed her hand over her mouth to hold back a choked sob at the young girl's passing. Gohan himself felt his fists tighten as another fell victim to Cell. First Launch, then the Androids, and finally Vi.

"She wanted to make sure Cell paid for all of this," Gohan said after her passing. He and Bulma met each other's gaze, filled with spite and determination. "Let's make sure her wish is honored."

Bulma nodded her head before looking to Nico, and then back down to Vi. "Just make sure the message comes across to the others. They need to understand that she wanted this..."

"We'll make sure of it, mom." They looked at Trunks, whose eyes still showed pain and remorse at her senseless death. "Anyone who...knew Vi will believe us."

They were facing dark days, and they were going to have to take extreme measures if they had any hope of surviving.

* * *

Things had changed by the time the Armored Squadron had returned to the Resistance base, about mid-afternoon in Earth's cycle. Dore and Neiz had finished their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and just like the others, it had changed them. Neiz was given a scar across his upper chest, reaching up just below his neck, and Dore had one along his jaw, along with a much shorter haircut. They arrived wearing the garb given to them by the Guardian, Hercule, and Mister Popo, both of whom came with the trio, riding on a magic carpet of all things.

Several human soldiers recognized the three of them—wearing some memorabilia given to them before their united assault against the Red Ribbon Army. Even more of them recognized the balding old man with them, but were hesitant about his new attire and companion.

There were more people though, people who didn't recognize any of them, and in return were unrecognizable themselves. But they were all busy with something, moving from or to somewhere until they landed. Nobody did a thing as Hercule lead the group into the base on a clear path as people parted for them.

Inside, everyone watched and stared at the unusual group as they moved toward the heart of the complex. They found Gohan and several others in the main meeting hall. He looked up at the others with a smile as they stepped inside.

"Glad to see you're back."

"I assume zhat zhere is work to be done?" Salza asked.

"Let's get you caught up to speed."

* * *

The far north's freezing winds had a faint bite to them that reminded him of the wilds of his home world. It was the place he was looking for. Cooler stood in the wake of a dark blizzard as the icy winds lashed against him as harshly as they could. He would endure, his mind focused on one purpose. To finally rid himself of his family's ghosts once and for all.

Cooler took his first step forward into the frozen planes, allowing himself to be consumed by the ice, snow, and frigid lands. He would find clarity in solitude, as was his people's ancient, most sacred practices. In clarity, he would find his victory. There were no other options. One way or another, Cooler was going to purge his family from the face of the universe, one way or another.

* * *

 _-Day Four-_

" _Blue Team reporting in, we found the refugees in the western forests, over. Settlers, colonists, tribesman—families with a few fighters mostly. Our commander moved ahead, but we're coming back with everyone in tow."_

" _This is Green Team, we've found the people in the western desert and mountains. The were unwilling to listen to us at first, but the Big Guy managed to defuse the situation without...too much uh...well, he classified it as 'rough housing.' Nobody was hurt though, and they've agreed to see our operations before agreeing to an alliance."_

" _Red team reporting in, we've found the naval flotilla in the southern isles. They have several aircrafts, weapons, supplies, and manpower that they're willing to donate to our cause. Our commander made quite the impression, but they're dedicated to our cause nonetheless."_

* * *

The world was steadily becoming larger than any one person in the Resistance ever realized. It helped when they had the help of a new, near-clairvoyant Guardian with a connection to the planet itself. With Hercule's vision, Mai's knowledge, and the Armored Squadron's strength, it wasn't too difficult to convince everyone they found to join their cause. The trio of extraterrestrials in particular seemed to become quite popular among the ranks of their soldiers.

The only shame was that such unity had to be brought about by such a terrible evil. But every day they grew stronger and stronger. Gohan took the helm of the Resistance's leadership, alongside Hercule and Videl. He worked closer to Hercule, coordinating rescue efforts with the Armored Squadron while Videl and Mai trained and organized their growing military. As their numbers grew, so did their potential and their drive. They were almost done uniting the remnants of the old world together once again. For the first time in years.

Trunks helped to train some of the more advanced fighters in the Resistance, namely the warriors brought in by Aoi, along with a few other potential candidates here and there. They may never replace the likes of Tien Shinhan or Krillin, but having a few stronger soldiers would help to strengthen their overall army. When she wasn't busy, Bulma worked with other brilliant or aspiring minds to build more weapons, armor, fortifications. One in particular was Mai's daughter, Sho, who was quite the workaholic in the mechanic's shop.

The project to build a new Android was a fast growing secret. Very few seemed to oppose the project, especially after being told it was Vi's idea, and those that did weren't very vocal about it. Enough people saw Nico training with Trunks and Gohan to see for themselves that Androids weren't inherently evil. More than that, it was a mixture of trust and desperation that brought everyone together. If there was something that would give them a fighting chance to live past the week, then nobody was going to argue over it.

When Nico wasn't training, she was burning through Doctor Gero's notes to understand how to create an Android, helping Bulma and the select few others in the construction effort. Gohan himself knew very little about its actual operation, as he focused his time on either training with Trunks and Nico, or coordinating efforts with Hercule, Videl, and the others.

The Armored Squadron, Salza, Dore, and Neiz, were great allies to have around as well. Dore knew how to whip their soldiers and fighters into shape—thankfully without any broken bones. Neiz proved to be quite the mechanic, helping to build and improve better weapons and equipment. He seemed especially fond of the Battle Jackets for some reason. Salza was a natural leader, and found himself all over the place. Though he did seem to prefer it that way. He even managed to get himself involved with the Android project.

They only had three more days until Cell promised to return. The sooner they united, the stronger they became. Gohan wished he knew what Cell was doing, or even where he was, but he couldn't risk sending any scouts to look for him, or angering him before they were ready. A surprise attack had been proposed, but nobody seemed too eager to volunteer when pressed with the question of who and how. Plus the force they were creating helped to inspire confidence that they could win. It helped when Gohan made a few of his training sessions a little more public for everyone to see what they were dealing with. The craters and shattered lands leading into their territory also served as proof to any newcomers of the might they had backing their efforts.

Overall, the effort to bring to the world together was proving to be successful. People believed that they were going to live to see the future for themselves. Cell's attack served only as a grim reminder of what was at stake, rather than the inevitable future. Gohan wouldn't doubt his might though. Cell wouldn't go down without a fight. And if he was waiting this long before attacking again, he had a plan in mind. The only problem was what that plan could possibly be. They couldn't be prepared for something they couldn't even predict.

But they would be ready to face whatever the future had to throw at them.

* * *

 _-Day Five_ -

Nico scrolled through pages of information on the computer screen, clicking back and forth between windows at speeds impossible for even Bulma. She watched the girl blitzing through information for a few seconds before saying something. "I think I see smoke coming out of your ears."

"Wh-what?!" The poor girl looked genuinely concerned as she brought her hands up to her ears. Once she realized she had been duped, she glared back at the Overseer. "You're a jerk..."

"You're just an incredibly easy mark," Bulma noted, with a smirk on her face. Nico sulked, but took the moment to look away from the screen, and at her sister to be. They had made enough changes that their project stopped being just a freak experiment on Vi's body. The Android Nico was trying to make was slowly coming to its own being.

It helped when they finished completing its—her brain. Nimu's was the first choice, but his was critically damaged when Cell blasted a hole through his forehead. Android 3's was in much better condition. It had already evolved to a sentient level, but was also enhanced with the functioning pieces of Nimu's brain as well. The...coding—Android 3's personality was wiped clean the moment she went offline. With the additions they made, the new Android would have a mind superior to both Nimu and 3's. The best of both brains. They would be an entirely different person from them as well—and from Vi. At least...in theory. There was a certain amount of guess work on their part when creating an entirely new being.

The physical body enhancements were perhaps the easiest pieces to apply to their new creation. Android 16's energy generators were powerful enough that only his enormous body could handle the strain of his maximum output. In an artificial body at least. While there was no telling how far the new Android could go, she had potential to grow like Nico. That meant she could work herself into the maximum output of the generators—which even 16 had yet to tap.

"Have you thought of a name yet?"

"What?" She stirred out of her own thoughts and finally pulled her gaze away. A name, like she had given to Nimu. "I...haven't thought about it honestly..." When she stopped to think about just what they were doing...they were creating a new life. How could she have forgotten to give her sister a name?

"Well I hope it's not going to be Android 21."

Nico smiled, catching that joke, as she looked down in silence for a moment before turning her focus back to her incomplete sister. "Nina."

Bulma smiled. "I like that."

Nico smiled too. "Thank you."

It was new start for a brand new creation—a new person. Nina's initial readings for her design were already proving to be an astounding success. Soon, she would prove to be a valued champion of Earth, just like those before her.

Nico still missed Nimu and 16. They only knew of each other for a few days, but they were some of the best people she had the fortune of meeting. She knew Android 3 even less than the other two, but her sacrifices were genuine, and for mankind's benefit. She just wanted to live in peace with them. And she fought, and died for that too. Nimu and 16 gave their lives to stopping Cell. Vi too. They would all want to continue the fight. That was how they justified it.

But...did it justify what they were doing?

* * *

 _-Day Six-_

They moved swiftly across the battlefield as explosions ripped across the ground. The Saiyan brat was especially keen on hurling blasts around as widely as possible. It didn't help that Nico's blasts were more concentrated and aimed, but just as rapid. Salza believed that when Gohan proposed a free-for-all that there would be less team coordination, but Trunks and Nico were apparently breaking that specific rule. Whether they meant to or not, they were spoiling the game for the others.

Salza looked back as Nico followed him with her hand open, firing an endless volley of blasts that chased after him. Before she could land a shot on the evasive Brench, Nico was sidelined and brought crashing to the ground by Dore's sudden surprise attack. Salza took a moment to stop and watched as Dore and Nico exploded into a violent skirmish that tore across the battlefield's surface.

Before he could relax, Gohan himself appeared and started attacking Salza immediately. He managed to evade the Super Saiyan's first initial strikes before he was able to start swinging back to keep him at bay. It wasn't long before Salza got punched across the face, but he snapped back and activated his Energy Blade around his right arm. Gohan hesitated and Salza lunged in, stabbing and swinging to keep the warrior on the offensive. Each attack was aimed for a precise mark, but Gohan was just one step faster. It was a firm reminder of the gap between them. The gap that only drove Salza to push back harder.

Gohan twisted to the side as Salza tried to swing down at him, grabbed the lieutenant's arm and pulled him forward, off of his feet. Salza quickly pulled his legs down, grounding himself as soon as possible before he lashed out with his blade. Gohan narrowly pulled his head back, but his eyes still casually followed the attack as it moved past him. He realized quickly that a direct assault wasn't going to work on Gohan, and quickly tried to put some distance between them. Salza charged up a beach ball sized orb in his hand and threw it down at the ground between him and the Super Saiyan. With the smoke screen up, Salza dropped his power level and continued to fall back.

Just before he cleared the smoke line, Salza felt another power crashing into Gohan. The sudden impact threw the dust and smoke clear as Trunks and Gohan exploded into a violent skirmish. "Son of a...damn Saiyans."

Salza's senses snapped to attention just before he was struck across the jaw by Neiz. He stumbled back, but had his eyes drawn to the Zaltian bastard as he charged forward. Salza readied himself for the assault as the taller fighter laid in on him with a flurry of lighting-fast strikes. It was all Salza could do to stay on the defensive. Neiz's year training was well spent, as his speed clearly increased to new heights.

As he continued his endless assault, Salza managed to direct Neiz's strikes to the side, leaving his own center wide open for a counter attack. Salza snapped his boot up just below Neiz's ribs, and ending the fierce engagement all at once. There was a choked squawk from his partner's mouth before Salza sent him flying with a punch to the face. The poor fool crashed through a rock formation and slid to a stop somewhere on the other side.

Salza took a breath, only for the ground to quake beneath his feet once again as a pair of fighters came crashing down near him. Nico was the one who jumped out into view, with Dore's red aura emblazoned around him. He realized a moment too late that the Android was deliberately baiting Dore toward him.

"Shit!" Salza dove out of the way just as Nico jumped into the air. Dore shot past the both of them closely enough that they felt the heat rolling off of his comrade. Salza aimed his arm at Dore while his back was turned, and extended his five fingers together toward one point. A ball of energy quickly snapped to life, and fired a precise beam into the raging brute's shoulder. The beam struck, causing Dore to shout as it left a smoldering hole behind, but his rage allowed him to turn and charge in an instant.

There was no defense as Dore laid into him, hammering Salza with burning fists of fury. Salza had his arms up, and did his best to move away, but Dore's fists came crashing down like wrecking balls. One solid punch to the face lifted the lieutenant off the ground. Another punch to the midsection sent him flying backwards. Salza quickly righted himself and slid against the ground on his knees, using one hand to clutch the ground and the other on his aching ribs. Salza looked up and honed his focus on Dore, watching his comrade blitz forward in blinding rage.

Dore struck once. Salza pulled away. He struck again, only for the lieutenant to dodge again. The brute swung faster and harder, swinging through the air and punching through the ground, but Salza stayed just one second ahead of him. Dore always had a tell in combat. It's what gave Salza an edge over his otherwise stronger comrade.

Salza ducked under the next punch, sliding quickly under Dore's arm to slip in behind him. Before he could react, he speared his elbow backward into a critical point between a Beppan's seventh and eighth rib, which sent Dore stumbling forward, gasping for air. Salza turned first and shifted his weight, drawing his fist back as Dore's aura exploded back to life. The harder he pushed, the stronger he became. The Time Chamber served Dore well too.

The green beast turned and charged forward with a furious shout. Salza didn't blink as he watched Dore fly towards him with his arm cocked back and ready to fire. He took his footing and launched his fist forward with a furious cry. Salza waited just until Dore's shoulder moved to react, shifting quickly before the empowered brute could send his strike flying. The focused lieutenant ducked under Dore's rocket fist in one motion, avoiding the blow by inches. He shifted forward with the next motion, clenching his fist shut tight as a dense orb of energy gathered around his hand. Salza planted his foot on the ground, and drove his energy-covered fist upward into Dore's stomach. The ball of raw energy pushed and swirled against him as Salza's fist pushed the screaming Dore off of the ground, and into the air. The ki sphere exploded against Dore's body, and launched the heavyweight brute even further skyward. He eventually landed several meters away—crashing through the ground with his full weight bringing him down.

"Good job." Salza turned around to face against Nico, who made herself known by standing out in the open. It was a sign of courtesy, given that stealth was her greatest advantage for those who relied on sensing life energy. "I guess you're the leader for a reason."

"Zhat was just a curiosity zhen? Making Dore fight me?" Nico shrugged with a guilty look on her face. Salza would have taken offense, but he certainly didn't mind hitting Dore with his newest technique. "Next time maybe you should do your own dirty work, eh?"

"Dore was reaching his limits. I figured he deserved a chance to burn them against someone who he might have a chance of winning against."

"Send him to fight Neiz zhen." Salza shifted into a fighting stance, squaring off against Nico. She smiled and moved in kind, waiting for Salza to strike first.

Then, a moment too late, Salza sensed the pair that quickly crash landed between them. Wind and dirt were thrown against Salza and Nico, who shielded themselves before the elements settled. He heard Nico scream in frustration and watched her dive into the Super Saiyan fray herself, attacking Gohan from behind with a sudden kick. She then met Trunks' counter by guarding against his punch with her forearm. The two youths then broke out into a skirmish as Gohan caught himself on the ground.

Gohan stood up quickly, "Hey!" Nico and Trunks stopped immediately and turned toward their mentor. "Time to call it in. I'm starving."

They both furrowed their brows in frustration at Gohan's candor. Salza shared their skepticism, though on some level he was glad not to have to face off against two Super Saiyans and an Android.

"Gohan, tomorrow...it's too important," Salza said. The Super Saiyan released his form, his golden hair turning back to black as he turned around. "We should make sure we are at our best."

"And we won't be at our best if we keep pummeling each other all day today," Gohan said back, giving a pointed look at two spaces behind the lieutenant. Salza turned around and saw Dore and Neiz pulling themselves off the ground. Their training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber improved their strengths and talents, and gave both of them better control and greater abilities. They were dedicated warriors, but they both were no match against Cell. Only Gohan possibly stood a chance out of all of them. Maybe Cooler, if had also spent his time training instead of...whatever he was doing. "We're all at our best. That's what this exercise was to show us. Tomorrow, we'll be at our best too."

It made sense. They had been pushing themselves for days now, all of them. All the searching and recruiting and building—the Resistance had practically remade their headquarters into a city. Not to mention Nico raising her potential bit by bit while spending her free time working on building an entirely new Android, which was still incomplete. There was still so much to do before tomorrow.

"Come on, don't you give me that look too. We'll be fine. Have some faith." Salza wanted to protest, but relented to Gohan's judgment. He argued in favor of using the Time Chamber again, for all of them, but Gohan was more concerned with protecting and guarding his people. It's what made him a truly inspiring leader to the people of Earth. "We still have to make our rounds over the perimeter to do, not to mention the other dozen final checks before tonight."

Salza frowned, "What is so important about tonight?"

Gohan just smiled at him. "You'll see. Get Dore and Neiz and we'll can cover more ground." Salza turned his head to try and relocate his partners.

"Uh..." Seconds passed by before he finally saw Neiz limping into view. "Neiz! Get Dore and check zhe east perimeter!"

The tall crimson warrior stopped at once and threw his hands up in the air. "Well where the hell is he?!" Salza shrugged. Neiz threw his arms out to the side in frustration again. "What the hell did you do with him?!"

"I blew him up!"

"You fucking WHAT?!"

"He's still alive!"

"Is he in one piece!?"

Salza paused. "Maybe?" Neiz shouted into the air with frustration as he walked off. At least his limp disappeared. Salza turned his head as Gohan started to laugh, seemingly at the lieutenant. "What?"

"You guys are hilarious." Salza smiled graciously and joined in Gohan's laughter. Neiz and Dore liked to complain about Salza's rank over them still, which if nothing else he continued to hold due to his prowess and skills, but deep down they respected his authority well enough. Dore liked to grumble and Neiz just liked to hear himself talk, but they were loyal, for better or for worse.

At this point, there was no turning back for any of them. Tomorrow marked Cell's eventual return.

* * *

As soon as they stepped through the doors to the main hall, a mix of delicious aromas hit their noses. Gohan, Dore, and even Neiz started drooling at the sight of a trail of food piled on the serving table, promptly taking their seats as well. Trunks, Salza, and Nico were far more composed, though the demi-Saiyan's stomach gave an audible growl.

"Well, don't let all this effort go to waste," Mai called out from the other side of the table. "I don't cook often, and I'd be real upset if it went bad."

"I do not zhink you will have zhat problem," Salza murmured as he eyed the more famished members of their group.

Salza sat next to Dore, Nico next to Neiz, and Trunks between Nico and Gohan. "Where is everyone else?" Gohan asked without taking his eyes off the glazed roast in front of him.

"Oh don't wait on anyone. This was Bulma's idea for our heroes." It was a first for the Armored Squadron to join the rank of 'hero.' "Don't get too comfy though, because it's a self serve—,"

Dore was the first out of his seat to grab the biggest chunk of meat. Unfortunately for him, Gohan placed his hands on the same roast, which quickly turned into a tug-of-war between the two powerhouses. Neiz and Trunks were the next ones to make a grab for food, nabbing up whatever they could get their hands on before Gohan and Dore's feud escalated. Salza simply watched the savages go at it, up until the roast was ripped in half thanks to the opposing forces. The only other person not making desperate grabs for the food was Nico, who couldn't help her smile at the ridiculous sight.

Once the rowdies settled and started inhaling the ridiculous amounts of food did Salza decide to calmly make a plate. He was the only one who had any semblance of table manners, as opposed to the others who couldn't cram their faces quickly enough. All with the exception of Nico, who sat quietly and watched the display of savagery.

Salza found himself pitying the girl. The time he had spent with Nico, training and working on completing Nina, it was obvious that she felt some level of displacement. She was the only Android left. Salza had Dore and Neiz. Gohan and Trunks were practically brothers. Nico was the odd one out in their merry little band.

Without provocation, Salza threw his plate across the table at the sullen girl. The food smacked her in the face, and the room fell still and silent. The plate slowly slid off of Nico's face, now covered with rice and other food juices. She was _not_ pleased.

Salza smirked challengingly at her. Nico grabbed a handful of mashed potatoes and without warning threw it right at Gohan's face. She sprung into action, jumping out of her chair with a mad little cackle. "I got Gohan! I'm automatically the champion!"

"Over my dead body!"

The table was suddenly covered in a storm of grabby hands snagging up whatever they could for the oncoming food fight. Dore and Neiz united forces against Salza, who ran along Trunks and Gohan's line of sight to get them in the crossfire. The Saiyans turned against the Armored Squadron while their leader dove behind an overturned table for cover.

He looked to his right and saw Nico smiling at him. "Truce?" he asked.

"Truce," she agreed. They bumped fists, messy as they were, and armed themselves for war.

Salza was much less reluctant to admit now, Earth certainly did have its charms.

* * *

 _-Day Seven-_

Dawn broke over the horizon, casting the golden sunlight on what may be the Earth's final sunrise. Thousands of men and women prepared for the battle that was coming to them, ready to fight to the last to survive another day. Their defenses were primed and ready, thanks to the battle drones that stood guard, and the hunter drones that acted as their early warning system. For what it was worth, Cell seemed to stay true to his word. Whatever he was doing, he waited the whole time.

Gohan stood at the northern outpost that made up their perimeter. There were turrets at either side of him, and an even larger energy cannon at the back. A squadron of battle drones standing at attention on top of the outpost with him. There was so much built up in the way of defense—even more with the legions of robots that waited even further out from the outposts themselves. They stood at attention, waiting to act in defense of whatever would threaten the Resistance.

The hours went by as the defenses and outposts became larger and more fortified. Armored soldiers, trained warriors, and even more robotic drones gathered together across the entire perimeter. The main complex—what had quickly become the final city on Earth thanks to everyone's combined efforts. It was going to be their first new city, not their last.

"Bulma is putting the final touches on Nina." Gohan felt Trunks and the Armored Squadron approach, but Nico was the one he couldn't sense as always. "To be fair, coming this far in a week with her is kind of a miracle."

"All of zhis has been somzhing tremendous," Salza said. "We've been on bozh sides of zhis conflict before. Zhis is perhaps one of zhe most...unique armies I've been apart of."

"Hell, we're being lead by a filthy monkey into battle," Dore teased. He and Trunks exchanged the same challenging stare due to the 'filthy monkey' remark.

"You wanna fight the Super Saiyans after this, be my guest," Neiz quipped. "I'm looking forward to doing some living after this."

"We will." Gohan's proclamation left a bitter taste in his mouth—just as he sensed a foul energy far in the distance. It was north, but getting more than a general location was impossible from how far away it sat. The others started to sense it, one at a time. "Send word to the others. Make sure we get ready. Trunks, stay here." The others left one at a time to recoordinate their forces for Cell's approach. "I need you to listen to me right now."

"You got it."

"Whatever Cell is planning...he's going to try to use our people against me—against us. I need you to make sure that they're safe back here, no matter what happens to me while I'm fighting him." Trunks didn't say anything or argue. Gohan couldn't bear to take his eyes off the looming darkness waiting beyond the horizon.

"Can I ask what your plan is this time?"

Gohan sighed and turned to his protege. "I'm going to go out there and fight Cell to the death and keep him as far from this place as possible. I expect Cell to have some sort of trick ready for us that we won't see coming. He said he was coming for everybody so...I'm not sure what that means. And I'm hoping that our last ally on this planet comes back to help us." Nobody had heard or even sensed Cooler for days though. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, he was every bit as elusive as Cell. "In all honesty, there's a certain amount of guess work that goes into this leadership thing."

"I've realized as much." A gentle breeze rolled between the Saiyans as silence took over. Neither of them said anything as they just focused on the dangerous power looming in the distance.

"Trunks. You're in charge while I'm gone." The young Saiyan nodded firmly. He was ready for this, despite Gohan's persistent doubts. "Whatever Cell has planned, he knows that targeting everyone here is going to...distract me."

"Do what you have to," Trunks said. He punched Gohan in the side, making him wince with a laugh. Trunks smiled up at him. "I've got this. You take down Cell."

There were still so many doubts that weighed on his mind. Cell was doing something in the last week. He had to have something in mind. But whatever it was, Gohan had to trust that Trunks and the others could handle it on their own.

"Alright. Whatever might come your way, give them hell."

Trunks gave a firm nod to Gohan before his mentor took off into the air. There was no turning back.

* * *

Cell waited with the utmost patience after he felt Gohan's inspiring power on the move, straight toward him no less. He stood on the forward most rock formation, with the mountains to his back, and the final civilization that humanity had made for themselves far in front of him.

Soon, the boy pretending to be the man his father was, finally appeared before Cell. Gohan waited a reasonable distance from Cell, with a hateful glare in his eye. Perhaps killing more people in his demonstration would have made him angrier.

"I must say, if it's just you out here, I'm a little hurt. No Cooler wanting his revenge? No Trunks trying to prove he's one of the big boys?" Cell chuckled while Earth's hero held his fierce, stoic expression. First Cooler, and now Gohan had lost his tongue as well. "I'm sorry, are you waiting for me to throw the first punch, or are you going to stand there and stare into my eyes all day?"

"You really like to hear yourself talk, don't you?" Cell smiled as he finally got a response—one that cut deeper than he cared to admit. "Whatever you're planning, it stops here. No matter how strong you think you are, you can't take everything we've prepared to throw against you."

"Oh?" Cell's smile spread into a twisted grin of delight as his eyes shifted to look past Gohan. "It seems like your Resistance has a powerful presence here. Built up a united army to stand together against me. You know, with all the toys left behind by the Red Ribbon Army, even the ants you protect may have found something to hurt me." He looked back at the silent warrior with his sadistic stare. "But then again, that was kind of the point. This is our home planet after all, Gohan—yours and mine. The final battle for it's future deserves to be dramatic, don't you think?"

"I don't think you dying alone is going to be as dramatic as you think."

Cell was tempted to argue, but time was of the essence before his surprise was detected. "I'm guessing that your little group has done its research on Doctor Gero's notes? He was particularly interested in how to infuse organic physiology with cybernetic enhancements, specifically. As you can tell, he was rather successful in that endeavor."

"What's your point?"

"Oh don't make me spell it out. Where did Gero gain most of his knowledge on biomechanical creation?" Cell watched Gohan's brow twitch in remembrance, which only confirmed that they were familiar with Gero's sources. "If I recall correctly, your family has some history with Doctor Wheelo, don't they?"

"His lab was destroyed," Gohan argued as a look of panic flickered across his eyes. "I don't know what good a dead man can—,"

Cell just laughed, stopping Gohan's speech before it started. "How can a dead man pose a threat? Really, kid? And if you learned anything from Gero, it should be that every scientist has a spare backup lab or two. Even Gero had a few places untouched by the Androids before I made use of them."

Gohan realized that Cell indeed had something planned for him—for the Resistance specifically. "What did you do...?"

"Come on, you didn't think I would place the fate of the world on a death match, did you? Wheelo's research was crucial in my overall design and makeup, but even I can't perfectly recreate whatever Gero did to make me. That being said...I found some...creative alternatives." Gohan quickly turned around and looked back to the Resistance that was miles away from him. Specifically, he was worried about the sudden spike in energy. Dozens...hundreds of new energy signatures flickered on in scores, and the number kept growing. "You feel it now, hm? You see, I realized the best way to motivate you for our final fight, Gohan. Put you between a rock and a hard place." The Saiyan turned sharply with a deadly scowl on his face. Cell only smiled under the pressure as he revealed his plan. "You fight for others. So I realized the best way to draw out your Saiyan power is to threaten them. Right now, you're going to have to fight me, or turn around to fight my new army. But, then you would be bringing _me_ right to their front doors again."

The final ultimatum leading up to the ultimate battle. Cell could feel his blood burning with excitement as he felt Gohan's power rising higher and higher. As predicted, he was going to make a stand. The hero's onyx hair started to float upward, and his eyes shifted to an intense, hateful green. Cell watched in delight as he felt the Super Saiyan's power spike just before he shouted with all his might and fury. A blinding flash of gold exploded across Cell's vision, temporarily blinding him. When his vision returned, Cell witnessed the splendor of a Super Saiyan's full, controlled might. It was certainly more impressive than an arrogant prince. Just his power alone was enough to make Cell tremble with anticipation.

"Yes...wonderful!" Cell powered up his identical aura against Gohan's. His energy tore the rock formation under his feet away like dirt against a tornado. "Come! Let us make this a battle worth—," Cell was silenced immediately as Gohan's burning fist came crashing down against his jaw.

* * *

 **OH MAN I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS ONE. So, obviously, as is my custom, I apologize for how long it took me to produce a single chapter. The style of said chapter I decided to mix it up, test my writing in a new way. I'm sorry if it's just confusing for you all, and honestly, somewhat rushed. To be fair though, my head is kind of already focused on the end of this story with the Cell Games...you know, if the games were like, war games. Cell War Games we'll call it. My mind is already finishing this madness.**

 **Buuuuut, the good news is, I think I've invested enough crazy into this uh...custom timeline/universe that I think Imma keep going with it. That is, if you guys want more stories and adventures involving this odd band of misfits and heroes fighting all sorts of other post-Android threats in the Dragon Ball Universe. And, yeah, I have stories and ideas with my custom twists so...well, you can expect more characters from the movies, from Z, Dragon Ball Heroes/Online, and...dare I say it, even from Super! Which by the way, how freaking awesome is Super? Except the Pride Troopers. Those guys are just asses. Oh, but for the sake of uh...simplicity, I won't be dabbling in the whole multiverse concept. Just think of the singular universe as uh...one big melting pot of Dragon Ball lore.**

 **Yeah, I've spent a lot of time pretending to be Zeno...**

 **That being said, with this story only having four more chapters left, I have two newer stories if any of you are fans of Mass Effect, or the Batman franchise. Though, both of them have redhead female leads...who are kinda gay. If that's not your thing, no worries. I'm pretty positive I'll be coming back to my Dragon Ball stuff after Frigid Future is done with.**

 **As always, thank you for reading this far! Like, seriously, 17 chapters in and you're still here? Someone needs to give you guys a medal for suffering through this. Reviews feed my addictions! Thank you for reading regardless of your comments at any rate!**


	18. Chapter 18: Cell War Games

When his vision returned, Cell witnessed the splendor of a Super Saiyan's full, controlled might. It was certainly more impressive than an arrogant prince with a sense of entitlement. Gohan's power alone was enough to make Cell tremble with anticipation.

"Yes...wonderful!" Cell powered up his identical aura against Gohan's. His energy tore the rock formation under his feet away like dirt against a tornado. "Come! Let us make this a battle worth—," Cell was silenced immediately as Gohan's burning fist came crashing down against his jaw.

Gohan screamed as he pushed into the assault, pummeling Cell under a relentless storm of heated blows. The so called Perfect Warrior twisted and folded under each hit, helpless against the Super Saiyan's fury. Gohan landed one final spin-kick that pushed Cell back far enough that the battered warrior could finally see. The Saiyan charged forward as Cell retaliated with a lighting-fast punch thrown at his spiky golden head. Gohan pulled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike aimed at him, and smashed his forehead against Cell's face. The Bio-Android cried out as his nose shattered under the impact, which left him wide open to the devastating elbow that Gohan dropped down on the center of his head. Cell came crashing down into a rock formation, where he stayed buried under a pile of rubble.

The Super Saiyan warrior placed his hands together, one overlapping the other, and raised them above his head, gathering a massive golden ball of energy. "Masenko..." Gohan thrust his hands down and unleashed a massive wave of energy down on his foe with a savage cry. "HAA!"

A massive explosion tore through the earth as the golden beam crashed into the mountain of rubble—blowing everything to smithereens. Gohan's senses locked onto Cell's moving energy signature before the dust could settle, and blasted toward the mountains. Cell was luring him further away from the Resistance—further from whatever horrible thing he sensed moving toward them. But whatever was behind him, Gohan had to trust that the others could handle it.

Whatever it—they were left Gohan more concerned than he cared to admit. It felt like there were hundreds, maybe thousands of other energy signatures that felt too identical to Cell's.

* * *

An entire squadron of drones and soldiers fell into a sinkhole, just as a sudden spike of energy drew their attention. The ground collapsed so suddenly that nobody even noticed until it had already happened. The Armored Squadron were the first to go investigate, while the units that avoided falling into the hollowed out crater moved away to regroup and reorganize. From above, they could see laser and gunfire tear across the crater—nearly half a mile wide.

"Drop down!" Salza shouted, looking to Dore and Neiz. "Push back whatever is attacking zhem!"

"Right!" Dore and Neiz raced for the Resistance's line of fire for whatever was attacking them down below to reinforce the survivors. Salza moved further away from the fighting to rally the rest of them.

The ground was nothing but broken rocks and shattered pieces of metal from busted robots, Battle Jackets, tanks, and more Resistance armaments. Salza dropped down next to the masked soldier shouting orders at the others. "Start getting zhe survivors! Dore and Neiz will hold zhem off!"

"Wh-what the hell are they, sir?!" Salza pulled his gaze forward to the grotesque threat they were faced with.

Dozens of giant grubs that bore a vague resemblance to Cell's first, imperfect state pushed towards their front lines. They came in colors of brown, blue, and green, each breed with unique features of their own. The brown bugs were capable of firing energy blasts from their mouths, and jumped around like grasshoppers to avoid gunfire. Or in a few unfortunate cases, they lunged onto soldiers to start devouring them like ravaged carnivores.

The blue grubs came in two variants—one with a heavy shell and a piercing tail that was used to impale any unfortunate target within range, and the other with a large insect wings that allowed them to fly around, blasting even more powerful mouth blasters down on their foes. The flying grubs, like their lesser counterparts, would devour metal and flesh, likely to enhance their strength. The defensive breed had a more grim, albeit familiar, method of absorption from their tails. The process was much slower with them, but Salza witnessed multiple bugs devouring the same person at a time for faster results.

The green beasts were the largest variant, and had the best features of each lesser breed below it. They were the size of a small vehicle, but smaller than a battle jacket, with wings that could carry their heavy bodies forward in long leaps, armed with a stinger tail, and even bigger blasts fired from their mouths.

Salza quickly dashed into the fray, his energy blade active as he cut through grub after grub to save anyone and everyone he could. He blinked across the battlefield in a blur of blue and purple streaks that carved through the bio-bugs. The smallest grubs could be taken out with a simple energy blast, or even a few gunshots. The more evolved variants took a little extra work from the humans, but hardly any more effort from someone like Salza. There were a few fighters in the pit as well who were adapting well enough to the lesser variants, and were even capable of bringing down the more evasive green beasts. The few of them that there were, they were targeted and no match for Dore or Neiz, who were focused on pushing the bugs back.

When the frantic scramble started to subside, Salza got a good look at the rest of the even more ugly monsters that were hidden in the dark tunnel beyond. More evolved, leaner insectoids in the same blue and green shades started to come into view. The blues had a more humanoid physique, standing tall with wings, while the greens were leaner, hunched over, and had a striking resemblance to the Ankoku race, covered in spikes and claws. Even at a distance, he could sense they were more dangerous to the average soldier. A pack of them could possibly even make things hairy for Salza and the others.

"What zhe hell is all of zhis...?" The green beasts charged first, unleashing a hellish howl, while the blue warriors moved in behind them. "Dore! Break their lines!"

The green brute's aura burst to life around him as a wicked grin spread over his face. "Oh, this is gonna be FUN!" Dore lunged toward the rushing enemy force with a powerful energy bomb in hand. He hurled that forward first, and then shot after it a second later. The bomb hit the first wave of monsters, blowing them apart in one go. Dore was thrown in the middle of the remaining fray next, where he started swinging wildly at anything in his path. His mighty blows smashed, crushed, and broke the imperfect, grotesque drones. "I can do this all day!"

Thankfully, Dore was still saving his stamina while beating up the small fry. It boded well, given how many of the drones there were. Even more so that the new breeds didn't seem to be that much more of a threat than their grub counterparts. "Neiz, make sure zhey don't get past us!"

"Right!"

The two quickly jumped towards one another, Salza facing left, and Neiz facing right. They both threw their hands forward and blasted a steady stream of energy blasts to hit the drones that tried to move around Dore. Each blast was enough to blow away one or two at a time.

After enough charred remains and bashed corpses, the waves of bio-drones stopped all at once. More grubs and drones waited anxiously, fearfully at the opening of a massive tunnel that they had dug. It would explain the sinkhole, and how they were able to sneak up on the Resistance.

"Boys! Bring zhe tunnel down!"

Dore sprung backward to join the others in their signature formation. They struck as serious of dramatic, expressive poses before aiming their hands out at the darkness. "Armored Squadron's..." Their energy signatures synchronized, sparkling brightly in their hands before they fired together to form a giant, single beam of energy. "LIGHT SHOW!"

The blast tore straight through the tunnel until it hit something with enough force to cause the beam to explode. The ground erupted nearly half a mile away, causing the tunnel forward and backward to collapse down on the bugs. The hollowed out tunnels became apparent from ground level, as the surface itself caved in on something empty.

Things settled for a moment. Salza turned to check on the humans, the last of which were being lifted out of the crater. "Oh shit!" The lieutenant turned forward again, and saw the rubble that filled the new trench start to move. Grubs and drones started to crawl out of the rocks, some injured, some perfectly fine.

"We pull back once zhe humans are cleared," Salza ordered. He recognized war tactics anywhere. Whatever Cell had created to face them, it was only the tip of the iceberg.

None of the surviving bugs seemed to keen on launching an attack against the Armored Squadron, which gave the others enough time to escape. Once they were cleared, the trio pulled back—a choice the bio-bugs shared.

And then they realized the trap had been sprung.

They each sensed the sudden spikes of power all around them. Further back from the original sink hole, the ground itself tore open violently. Hundreds—thousands of grubs, followed by drones ripped the ground apart and scrambled to the surface. More concerning were the new breeds that emerged as well. Taller, more humanoid beings crawled out, miniature little devils flew into the air, and grotesque, red war beasts burst out of the ground with terrifying roars. Salza recognized every semblance to Cell's previous forms. Whatever this army was, they were made up of the same stuff as Cell—twisted into varying, disgusting parodies of his previous forms.

"This...is gonna be messy," Dore stated, with a notable lack of enthusiasm in his tone.

Across the sea of feral, mad enemies, a group of more advanced bio-warriors floated out of the gigantic hole in the ground, higher than the rest. Even from a distance, Salza could see, and sense, that they were different. Dangerous, even to them.

"We won't be able to hold their hands," Neiz said. "If there are freaks as dangerous as Cell, we're going to need to take them out ourselves."

He was right. It was a tough call, but if they wasted their time dealing with the small fry, then their leaders would be able to mop them up. Funny how when they first arrived, the Armored Squadron was more than willing to let the humans die as apart of a larger distraction. It stung more than Salza cared to admit to have their tactics turned against them. They were going to need all hands on deck, and that included the weaker soldiers in the Resistance. Given the numbers though, Cell's armada seemed a lot bigger than their own.

"We'll need to coordinate properly," Salza finally stated. Trunks may have been Gohan's successor, but he was no military leader. "Dore, Neiz, hold down zhe front and keep your eyes on zhe enemy." They nodded and remained in place while Salza fell back behind their lines to coordinate with the other leaders.

* * *

There were no words to describe the terror that built across the battlefield. Legions of Cell clones gathered on the ground, and a horde of them in the air. All and all, they were facing greater numbers, and perhaps even greater odds. Nobody said a thing. Trunks focused on controlling his panic first, something that was incredibly easier when Salza returned to coordinate with him and the other leaders.

Trunks gathered with Salza, Nico, Hercule and Mister Popo, Videl, and Mai. "What the hell are those things?" Videl asked.

"Zhey seem to be weaker spawns of Cell, based on his previous evolutions. We have encountered two types directly—grubs and drones. Zhey are dangerous, but nozhing impossible for our soldiers to deal with. Zhey are all agile, fast, and capable of some form of energy control."

"But a good gunshot can do the trick, right?"

Salza nodded his head, "Some may take more zhan ozhers, but yes. Zhe drones are zhe most dangerous so far, but zhey were no match for myself, or Dore and Neiz. But do not underestimate zhem."

"What about the others?" Trunks was more worried when Salza didn't have an answer.

"We figure it out as we go," Videl stated. "We have numbers, and we have our own drones to fight back with."

"We'll coordinate our forces to break up their numbers." Mai turned to the cannons set up behind their main forces. "We use long range strikes to soften them up, and break up those fliers. It'll be easier to coordinate our forces against theirs."

"There's something else though," Hercule murmured. All eyes turned to the Guardian, who was staring straight ahead at the horde. "It's faint, but...there are really strong fighters in there. At least...five." He turned his head, staring at the heroes. Trunks, Salza, and Nico quickly did the math.

"Damn," Trunks fumed. The implication was obvious. They were going to have their hands full with the special variants of Cell's horde.

"Zhen we have to recoordinate our efforts," Salza said. "Zhe monsters seem to be little more zhan mindless beasts. If zhese specialized breeds are powerful, zhey are undoubtedly intelligent as well. We split zhem up, zhey lose zheir leadership. It will still be dangerous, but it may be our only chance."

"However, that means our strongest assets will be used immediately to stop them," Popo stated. "Hercule, try to focus. How strong are they compared to the others?"

The Guardian shook his head. "They're masking their powers. I can't figure it out." He was still too inexperienced to sense their energies. He couldn't pry open what was being hidden.

"I have a plan for our approach," Salza said as he turned his attention to Nico and Trunks. "You will bozh have to come with me."

* * *

Time was up. The sensors and alarms told her that Cell had arrived, and security feed showed Bulma just what they were up against. She was so close, so close to completing Nina.

"I'm so sorry..." Bulma swallowed her guilt, and her morality as the cruel reality of the situation plagued her mind. She was creating a life in the midst of their own destruction, hoping, praying that she would be the asset they needed. If not, then Nina's brief life would have been for nothing. Vi's sacrifice, the sacrifices of Androids 3, 16, and Nimu would be for nothing.

That was something Bulma couldn't allow.

The sensor readings showed that none of 16 or Nimu's power reserves were taking to Vi's body—Nina's body. Bulma pulled one of the metallic nerves in the muscle, and attached it to the output port for the small generator. Still nothing.

"C'mon...work for me girl," Bulma muttered. Everyone outside was fighting, ready to sacrifice themselves. She was a scientist, not a fighter, but that didn't mean that she would give up. She couldn't give up. Bulma refused to go quietly while everyone else fought instead.

* * *

Another rock formation collapsed as Cell was booted through it at an incredible velocity. The Bio-Android tore into the ground, ripping across rock and dirt before he pushed himself skyward, just as Gohan threatened to come down on him. The Super Saiyan smashed through the ground, pushing a massive hole beneath his boot where his opponent had vanished from.

Cell stopped in the air and immediately unleashed a volley of energy bombs focused around where Gohan came down. The bombs impacted and flourished in a bright, destructive display of power that washed away everything in its wake with searing might. Before he could stop, a powerful blow cracked Cell's jaw, and sent him flying. He turned and righted himself, facing down against Gohan with a bloody smirk.

"Excellent Gohan, excellent! This is the true might of a Super Saiyan! This is the battle I've craved! You truly are every bit the warrior your father was!"

"You don't know my father. AT ALL!" Gohan blasted forward, and Cell charged to meet the challenge.

Gohan struck out, and Cell vanished from sight. He was off guard when Cell's foot kicked him in the head, throwing Gohan into the horizon and through another rock formation. Gohan grabbed the edge of the shattered rock, stopping himself immediately. He pulled forward and launched himself like a rocket out of a cannon back where he came. His speed was great enough that even Cell was caught off guard when the Super Saiyan's fist came flying through his stomach in one blow. The perfect warrior screamed and doubled over Gohan's shoulder, coughing and sputtering out purple blood from his mouth. Gohan ripped his arm out from Cell and then spun around, backhanding the monster with his bloodied fist.

With Cell off balance and in the open, Gohan took the opportunity to lay into the creature with a barrage of energy blasts. He refused to let up in his bombardment, focusing his senses on Cell alone as he was buried in a cloud of smoke. The assault stopped all at once, and Gohan blitzed into the smoke to drive his fist into Cell's face again. The Bio-Android was shot toward the ground, but stopped himself just before impact, and hooked himself back into the sky. The two combatants faced off against each other, hovering quietly in place.

Despite the hole in his stomach, and his hunched position, Cell smirked with a bloodied mouth, "Careful now. If you burn through too much of your power, you'll be all tuckered out."

"Don't you worry about me. I'll make sure you get just what you deserve before the day is done."

Cell chuckled with amusement. He had no defensive stance, which was an invitation for Gohan to attack. It was too obvious, too plain. "You know, I'm wondering something." Cell stood up straight and gave a brief shout—closing the fist-sized hole in his stomach. "Where is the prince? Did he not survive his injuries?"

He wanted to talk. And Cooler was still AWOL. But every second they wasted, the more people were going to die from...whatever Cell prepared for them. It also bought time to overcome that threat. There were more benefits to stalling than there was to pushing his attack. It was a painful truth, one that Cell was all to aware of with the Arcosian monarch decidedly absent.

"Are you afraid of what might happen if he and I team up against you?"

Cell laughed. "Oh, bravado and bluster. You Saiyans really are all the same. To tell you the truth Gohan, if I would be worried...if I wasn't so sure that _this_ battle was already won." Gohan scoffed at his declaration. Cell's smile only widened. "Allow me to demonstrate..."

He vanished at the end of his sentence. A blink later, and Gohan was thrown back from a sharp elbow driving into his face. The Super Saiyan was thrown back, tumbling through the air until he righted himself, coming to an immediate stop in mid flight. His senses kicked in, and his instincts followed. Gohan turned and raised his hand, catching Cell by his ankle. He smirked in response to the monster's look of shock. With a angry shout, Gohan pushed forward, pulling Cell over his shoulder, and launched the Bio-Android straight into the ground. This time, he smashed through the rock and dirt, sinking a crater below him.

Cell came blasting out again, striking Gohan hard in the stomach with a rising knee. The Super Saiyan doubled over with an anguished cry as he nearly folded in half over the blow. Cell turned, placing his hand on the back of the hero's head, and then dashed forward. Gohan's face was smashed against a rock formation, and dragged through the side before Cell threw him ahead. Fire and pain roared across the side of his face, forcing his scratched up eye to remain closed.

Gohan could see just enough to catch Cell charging at him. He raised his arms up to defend himself from a storm of blows and strikes. Gohan was barely able to keep up, but he refused to relent to Cell. The thought of Launch, Vi, the Androids—everyone that Cell had taken from him fueled the Super Saiyan's anger and focus.

The assault was broken when Cell flared his aura around him. Gohan was pushed back, but he caught himself against the force and dashed right back into the fray. Two golden auras clashed against each other with the strength and ferocity to shake the earth below them—to cause mountains around them to shake and crumble apart from the thunderous attacks. Lightning crashed around them, followed by the echoing blast of thunder, all fueled by the strength and speed of the two clashing forces.

Gohan and Cell eventually locked grips with the other, forcing their battle to a momentary pause. Then it became a contest of who could push the hardest with the most power. The clashing forces eventually became too much for either to maintain—causing a terrible blast that threw both warriors apart from each other.

Neither was ready, or willing to back down. Gohan's fury was still hot, fueling his resolve and his strength to finish Cell once and for all. Unfortunately, the challenge only seemed to make Cell stronger, more enticed to see what his enemy can do. It was a stalemate, with no victor in sight.

* * *

Cell's horde was much larger up close. Even as mobs of them were lit up by the team's bombardment up high, there were still thousands—hundreds of thousands of them stampeding across the valley. "This isn't working!" Nico shouted.

"Just keep the pressure on!" Trunks fired a purple energy beam that ripped through the center of the horde. Nico chewed her lip as she looked forward to where the Armored Squadron was. Salza's plan was to use themselves to bait out the strongest spawns. They were the tip of the spear, while Nico and Trunks waited further behind the lines in case of an ambush. So far, all they were doing was ripping apart Cell's armada.

"Maybe Hercule was wrong?!" Trunks turned his head quickly with a glare. Nico followed his gaze back to the Armored Squadron, and across from them were five unique breeds in the horde's ranks. "Maybe I am," she amended. Sensing energy was something Nico was still unable to learn—something she would definitely have to work on.

There was no struggle between their forces as Nico and Trunks joined the trio. Five of them, just like Hercule said. Three of them were the same deep shade of blue, one was a light green color, and the one in front of the pack was a flaring red color. They each had different shapes and variants of Cell's evolutions, with the green and red ones bearing the most resemblance to their progenitor.

"Why do I feel like this is a little too staged?" Dore asked, wondering if the fates themselves had turned against them.

"Because Cell is a crazy bastard," Nico muttered with a bitter scowl.

"Now, now, now, that's our daddy dearest you're talking about," the red one spoke. "We're the pinnacle of our father's armada. Created in his image, meant to lead his forces, and to take you fools out. The Armored Squadron, the last living Android, and the Super Saiyan brat..."

"Zhis is just a game to zhe lot of zhem..."

Without waiting, Nico charged forward angrily, aiming right for the red one. He didn't flinch as a green blur slammed into the rampaging Android, and carried her away.

"Shit!" Salza turned towards Nico, but was blocked off by a blue clone, and pushed off from the rest of the group. Dore and Neiz were given the same treatment by the same colored variants in the team of bio-warriors.

On his own, Trunks squared off against the red spawn that smiled arrogantly at him. "We are the Genome Brothers," he explained. "We were designed to keep the riff-raff away from our father. I am the Perfect Genome, second only to my father." The red clone shifted into a combative stance, squaring off against Trunks. He quickly turned and powered up into a Super Saiyan, preparing for the fight of his life. "I will show you the true might my father has imbued into me."

Genome lunged forward and clashed against Trunks. Even off guard, Trunks was able to keep up with the smirking clone. He vanished from the next strike, and swung back at Genome. The red warrior vanished and struck back at Trunks—only for him to vanish as well. The elusive game of swinging and vanishing continued, again and again, until they both finally disappeared at the same time, and reappeared with a knee raised and clashing against the others.

"Come, Super Saiyan! Show me your might!"

"I'll show you more than that, monster!"

Trunks' aura burned just as brightly as Genome's. They dashed toward each other, engaging in a blistering skirmish. Trunks watched his opponent's movements, quick to deflect or dodge them, while conserving his energy to strike at just the right time. Unfortunately, Genome was just as skilled—perhaps even more so, and kept pace with Trunks in dodging and striking.

Genome landed a solid hit that spun Trunks around. He stopped himself and countered with a sharp, upward kick that lifted the clone's chin to the sky. Genome dropped his head back down with a savage sneer and struck back with a quick punch. Trunks dodged and grabbed his foe, and drove his knee straight into Genome's stomach. He doubled over, but snapped his head up quickly to strike Trunks back in the chin, throwing him back.

The two successors waited a beat to size the other up properly. Trunks couldn't let his guard down against such a dangerous opponent. He was stronger than Cell's previous form. But Trunks was much stronger than back then as well.

The quicker he ended Perfect Genome, the faster he could help tend to the real threat. One wrong move would be the end of him. If the others were lucky, they could defeat their opponents and move to help the others.

* * *

The hordes of monsters came in unending waves that crashed against their front lines relentlessly. The first waves—the grubs and the drones were little more than mindless beasts and ravenous monsters. Dangerous, but easy to predict, and put them down. But with enough numbers, they could overwhelm entire squads of soldiers and battle drones. Even with their variants, the Resistance proved that they could hold their own against the bio-warriors.

The real trouble came when the new breeds moved across the battlefield. Their numbers spread out across a wider reach, which thinned the Resistance's unity. More advanced and specialized forces moved into play—Aoi's warriors and other armaments, such as armed jeeps, tanks, and even battle jackets. They helped to even the playing field against the new, twisted variants of Cell's grotesque spawn.

They lost aerial superiority to the miniature breeds that swept over their ranks—the Cell Juniors that also with green and blue variants. They were quick, and packed enough energy to blow holes in their defenses, but they left much to be desired in the way of durability. The trick was catching them first. They had the appearance of Cell, but miniaturized. And as with the other breeds, the blues were greater in number, but the greens backed more of a punch.

The next breed were the lean, muscular, and much more rounded red colored drones. While their lesser brethren were furious monsters, the more elite breed had sharper minds, reflexes, and much greater power that they used to cause havoc among their forces. Their tools of destruction ranged from claws, bones, spikes, tails, and teeth, to more ruthless methods such as energy waves and mouth cannons.

The last, and perhaps most terrifying were the massive red war-beasts that towered over the rest of the Cell Horde—standing nearly twice as tall as Aoi himself. They were larger than the average battle jacket, and even more destructive. There weren't many, in comparison to the rest, but it took a lot of concentrated effort and/or heavy firepower to put them down.

"Sector Six is going down!" Videl shouted, before firing a missile into the heart of a cluster of enemies. "Aoi! They need support, or our left flank is going to get overran!"

"On it! Atoshi, Mu, with me!" The beast threw his wings out and took to the sky, where he smashed his way through a few Cell Juniors who were feeling cocky. The two elite warriors that Aoi called on quickly followed their leader to the west.

"We need long range mortar strikes on those big bastards already!" The issue was the airborne Cell Juniors that could blow any mortar blasts out of the sky before they could do any damage. Their gunners, snipers, and robotic drones did their best, but the miniature devils were quick and never stayed in the same place for too long. Mai propped up her assault rifle against the wall before swapping it for a high powered sniper rifle.

"I'll slow them down." She squeezed the trigger, firing a devastating shell that punched a hole in the soft spot between one of the massive war-beast's breast plates. It gave a bellowing roar and crumbled to its knees, but refused to fall completely. Slowing it down was enough for the time being. Mai quickly moved to the next target and squeezed the trigger, and blew the head off an unfortunate junior—and a hole through the sides of two others hovering behind the first. "Oh this is easily my new favorite thing."

Mai fired another round, and another without missing a target. Although the solution was like trying to plug a cracked dam with a pebble. At least there were a lot of pebbles to throw at the problem. None of whom were as stubborn as her daughter flying around in a custom battle jacket. She always had a thing for piloting things larger and way more destructive than herself. Probably a family trait. At least Sho was having the time of her life with the opportunity to finally test her custom baby.

She turned the scope back to the injured war-beast as it started to stand up again. Mai squeezed off one last round that nailed the big bastard in its left eye—and blew a hole out of the back of its head on exit. As the beast fell, it squashed a few grubs and a couple of lesser drones in its final efforts.

The bunker shook violently as a chain of explosions ripped across the ground from above. Mai ducked down next to Videl as wind and dust flew at their window. They looked up and saw a scorching trail of craters, with several metal pieces, and several dead soldiers outside. Many more were wounded, but still very much alive.

Mai aimed her rifle skyward and targeted the group of juniors that were moving away. Before she could squeeze the trigger, a lightning-fast and quite advanced battle jacket flew onto the scene and bashed the first mini-Cell's head in. With the other arm, the robotic war machine turned a rapid-fire laser blaster and blasted two holes through the eyes of another pair of juniors, and the last one through the chest. Five corpses dropped out of the air as Sho turned and started firing again. Mai was proud of her daughter for focusing on defense—even if she let that one attack slip through. It was her first real, large-scale combat experience, and Sho was performing brilliantly under fire.

Videl fired another missile into the horde before ducking behind cover to reload her launcher. Mai turned her rifle's scope back to the enemy on the ground. "We're losing our robots quickly," Videl said.

"Move them between the remaining sectors to reinforce our lines of movement," Mai advised. Videl nodded and began typing in the new orders quickly into the system. Once that was done, the commander stood up and fired another rocket into the war zone. "We should move topside too. We're gonna have to cover a lot of our own people now." They quickly pulled back and moved for the stairs to get to the third and top level of their outpost, while medical and rescue teams prepared to move to get the wounded.

The roof of the outpost was deafening with the sound of battle, but Mai and Videl rushed forward to join the soldiers and warriors that held their ground. Videl quickly found her position on a mounted turret and started gunned down freaks from the horde that threatened to rush them on the ground. Mai posted herself against a solid wall next to a pair of armored soldiers, and one of Aoi's elite warriors.

"How are things looking?" Mai asked.

The fighter turned out of cover and fired several energy blasts into the air, and eventually managed to shoot one junior down. "Master Aoi managed to make it in time to reinforce Sector Six. Our right flank is holding well, but we're not sure for how long. If they manage to break our center line—,"

"Get four more squads over to Sectors Two and Three, and help them thin out the east flank."

"If we send more troops away from our main sectors then—,"

"Once the east sectors are secured, the enemy will have gained enough ground for the reinforcements to push against, and flank the enemy. Now shut up and move!"

The warrior and one of the soldiers quickly left as Mai took their position on the roof. It was a risky gamble, but the Resistance didn't stand a chance in a straight war of attrition against the Cell Horde. They had to do something in order to gain an edge against them.

* * *

Their battleground echoed from a flurry of impacts as the two fighters traded blows across the air. Gohan's boot met squarely against Cell's face, and tossed the Bio-Android back. He righted himself quickly as the Super Saiyan pushed the advantage, but retaliated with a barrage of energy bombs he released from his hand. Gohan quickly stopped, smacked the first projectile out of the way, and quickly blasted off to avoid the hail of blasts. Cell continued firing as his attacks lit up the background in bright, devastating chain of explosions. Gohan hurled a single orb back at Cell as a distraction. The bait took as the attack stopped so Cell could swat the blast out of the way. Gohan was gone in that instant—moved behind Cell to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to the back of his green head.

Cell groaned as he tilted forward, but quickly turned to face Earth's champion in another heated brawl. Gohan was keeping pace, but a few of Cell's strikes licked his sides, or bore down harder on his defense, while his own attacks were being tossed to the side more casually. He was losing steam, and they both were aware of it.

The skirmish broke when Gohan left himself open to a fist crashing against his face, in order to trade a much more punishing boot to Cell's abdomen. The exchange sent both warriors flying back into separate rock walls that crumbled under the impact.

Gohan pushed a heavy rock off of him and stepped out of the rubble, and saw Cell already waiting for him across the way. The Bio-Android had his arms crossed, and a smirk on his dirtied, beaten face. Gohan could sense Cell's energy was starting to wane, slowly, but his own fatigue was becoming more apparent as the fighting continued.

"Tell me something," Cell called out as he turned his head to the side. "Do you recognize this region?" Gohan could never forget it, but he wasn't going to indulge in Cell's twisted games. "I certainly do. This is the spot where Frieza and his father arrived to Earth, if I'm not mistaken. The place where the strongest fighters in the universe gathered for one spectacular battle." Cell chuckled and turned his head back to Gohan. "All of my genes, my powers were gathered in this very spot. I thought it only fitting to finish this where it all began."

"You're not going to win this, Cell!"

"Oh no?" The green monster laughed. "You can sense the battle behind you. My army—my horde will lay waste to your pitiful Resistance. My sons—my Genomes will make short work of your ward and Cooler's foolish little trope. And unless the prince himself comes falling out of the sky in the next...oh, ten minutes or so, you don't have a chance of defeating me."

As difficult as it was for him to swallow, Gohan knew Cell was right. If even a single pillar of support were to fall, Cell won. He forced them apart, pressuring each to succeed no matter what or risk failure. The only thing Gohan wondered was how Cell knew that Cooler would be missing from the action. Perhaps the Bio-Android's own arrogance played to the fate's designs.

"This battle isn't over yet, Cell. We'll fight you to the last!"

Cell chuckled as he dropped his arms to the side. "Ah, humanity's strongest weapon; hope. After all these years, after all you've lost, you still cling to it so that you can escape the inevitable. Let me tell you, Gohan...there is no more hope in this world. Not for you, not for Trunks, not for any of those amoeba you fight for..." Cell's aura burned to life around him as his twisted grin grew. "All that is left is how much time I give you to live..."

* * *

Light. What was light? Brightness—meant that sight was functional. She could see. Blink once—twice. She was alive. What was life?

She turned her head to a new and somehow familiar face. Bulma. Who was Bulma? The Overseer. Leader. Friend.

"Are you...?" she asked. "Do you...understand me?"

Yes.

Say it.

"Yes."

Bulma sighed shakily. Bulma was scared. Worried? Why was she worried?

"Do you...do you know who you are?"

She sat up.

Identity? Name? Title? Who was she?

"No..."

Hurt. Why did that hurt?

Bulma touched her shoulder. She looked into her eyes and saw pain. Why did she hurt too? Did she hurt because of her? She did not want to cause Bulma pain. "You...your name is Nina."

"Nina," she repeated. That felt...nice to have a name of her own.

Water built up in Bulma's eyes. It hurt even more to see her cry. "D-do you know...what you are?"

What was she? "No." Tears. Bulma's tears were sad. Nina's hand came up and brushed the tears away. "Why...why do you cry?"

Bulma took Nina's hand gently. Warm, shaking. Frightened. "There's...a war going on outside." War. War was bad. War hurts. Was was...Red. "Our people...they're fighting a war against...monsters." Fighting wars...people die. Death is...

"Cell..." Why did she know that name? "Cell is...bad. Very...bad."

Bulma smiled at her, squeezed her hand tight. Something made her happy. Proud? "Cell wants to...everyone is fighting for their lives."

Cell wanted to kill them. Cell _would_ kill them. "They can't..." How did she know? "Cell is too strong..." Bulma knew. How did she know about Cell though? "They...they will die."

"Nina..." Bulma touched her face. Soft, warm. Steady this time. "You...you're very special." Special. Exemplary. Unique. Alone. "You have the power to change things. To do great things. You can save people."

Save people. "Save...people." That thought was familiar. It had purpose—meaning. It gave hope—light and life where there was none.

Bulma's smile became brighter. The tears flowed. Why was she still sad? "You're very special...do you...do you know what an Android is?"

She did. "I am." She was. Android. Artificial. Powerful. Dangerous. Destructive. "Android...they are bad?"

"No! No, you are _not_ bad. Androids are not bad. You...you're a person, Nina." Person. Human. "You are a good person. You...you choose to live your life how you want." Choice. Sacrifices. Security. To protect the people of Earth.

"I...want to save people." Hero. She wanted to be a hero. "How do I help?"

Bulma guided Nina off the table. Step—walking came naturally. Walking was...basic. Simple. "We get you ready to fight."

* * *

Nina very much liked her outfit. It reminded her of...someone. Staring at herself in the mirror, she felt a wave of familiarity in her appearance. She wore a dark shirt, suspenders, white pants, and white gloves that fit her fingers quite snuggly. Bulma finished tying an old orange scarf around her neck, and then a purple sash around her waist. The fog over her memories started to clear. She remembered...numbers—names.

She remembered names, but nothing else.

"Am I..."

"Nina." Bulma stepped in front of her, staring her square in the eyes. "You are Nina. No one else. You can change things for the better. For all of us..."

Change for the better. Cell was bad. That thought never left her mind—never questioned. A brutal, savage monster. There was no doubt that he had to be stopped. Killing him would change things for the better. For everyone.

"As long as we're here, Nina," she looked at Bulma as she spoke again, "you will always have a family."

Family...

"What is...family?"

Bulma smiled and grabbed her shoulder, "We are, Nina. And family supports each other, always."

Nina took one last look at herself in the mirror. She didn't see memories or pieces. She saw herself—whole and complete.

She was ready to fight.

* * *

The outside was bright. Brighter than she remembered. The battle was close. Bulma stood next to her, and gave the newly born Android an encouraging nod. Nina turned forward ran as fast as she could. Her stride became a sprint, and the sprint became an increasingly blurry dash. She quickly found out she could run even faster still. She blazed across the distance between her and the nearest monsters.

Attack.

She moved swiftly, punching and swiping through the oversized grubs that threatened to consume a pair of soldiers. The two men were gawking in awe at their savior, who departed just as quickly as she arrived.

Nina saw more enemies—more dangers to the people. She moved faster, tearing across scores of grubs and drones, sending gorish chunks of green and blue flying in all directions in her violent path. Nina finally stopped when she had cleared enough space between Resistance soldiers and the horde. Her appearance and display caused the fighting to pause momentarily.

A team of red drones rushed her at once. Her eyes rapidly analyzed their movements and her mind flew into defensive tactics. She shifted and blocked each oncoming strike without missing a beat. Five against one, and her mind continued moving faster and faster, until their keeping up with their speed was nothing more than a boring, repetitive motion. She was stronger, and faster than they were.

Nina struck back with a sharp elbow and enough force to blow the drone's head off. She followed through and swung her leg out, tearing through the second one's legs. It dropped to the ground, and shrieked in absolute agony. Nina spun around as the last three rushed her at once. She jumped forth to meet their challenge. In an instant, she struck each one down before they could blink.

A chorus of shouts erupted, followed by blasters and gunfire. Nina looked back in fear, but instead watched as the emboldened soldiers charged headlong into the enemy, overtaking their softened numbers. She had broken the enemy's front line—broken their advance.

They pressed the advantage, but Nina could not allow anyone to get hurt. She did not understand why they would continue to fight.

 _Why?_

Life was precious.

Bulma's words echoed in her memories. _'You choose to live your life how you want.'_

They had made their choices as well, long before Nina was online. They had chosen to make a final stand themselves, even without her. Nina's arrival had changed the course of the battle for them. For everyone.

Nina chose to continue fighting, alongside the people who cheered for her victory—for the lives and choices of the people who wanted to continue living.

Nina pushed for more speed, more power, tapping her limits each time her mind hastened the battle. Her abilities evolved as well. She remembered she could fire energy waves, burning through rows of enemies in one move.

Then she remembered that she could fly too.

There wasn't much of a curve to it once she found her balance, and it helped to push the Resistance's advantage. Nina blasted and tore through the horde, reuniting the separated Resistance units—connecting them again while tearing down their enemy's numbers.

Nobody knew who she was—what she was, but nobody seemed to care. They cheered and shouted for her—and her name once she told one soldier. Her name started to spread like wildfire through the ranks shortly afterward. Their acceptance and praise pushed her even further, until she finally understood...everything.

There wasn't much logic to it. Just a vague memory of the past that became clearer as she pushed her limits again and again. A past she never experienced for herself.

Vi, Nimu, Android 16, Android 3. Victims of Cell. All deceased.

Nina.

Nina carried what was left. Their dreams, their will to continue the fight. To fight for the innocent. To change the world for everybody. That was what they wanted. After the war was over, then she would find out just who they were.

"You're Bulma's new girl then?" Nina turned her head to a woman in an overcoat armed with a shotgun.

"My name is Nina," she explained. The woman smiled at her. Kind, friendly. Accepting.

"Thank you for helping, Nina. But your skills are better suited elsewhere." The woman nodded her head to the east. Nina's eyes noticed the battle spread out over an empty section of the valley. Warriors—fighters like her, battling more advanced minions. Powerful spawn.

She knew their names, somehow. Trunks, Salza, Dore, Neiz, Nico. Nico was a name that stood out to her. Nico was someone she respected. Someone she cared for.

The longer she watched the battles, the more her mind seemed to agree with the other woman. "I can't leave you all to—,"

"We're reunited and stronger, thanks to you," she said. "We can push back these bastards after the hurt you put on them." The woman grabbed Nina's shoulder firmly, prompting the Android girl to look at her. "You're meant for that fight. We've got this one."

Nina stared at the woman as more things clicked in place. Confidence. Trust. Faith. Worry. She was worried for them. But they were confident in themselves, and trusted her. The rest was having faith in the people...in her people.

Without another word, Nina dashed toward the fray.

Mai smirked to herself. She wasn't going to bother pretending that she could trace the Android's movements, and instead put her focus on the battle at hand. "Everyone group up! Heavy armaments in the back! Defensive up front!"

* * *

Neiz was in the midsts of clashing with the Imperfect Genome. It bore a hideous likeness to Cell's same form, complete with a hunched posture, and spikes sticking out of his back and arms like an Ankoku beast. It was fast, savage, like a wild predator. Neiz couldn't let his guard down for a moment. Without his newly honed senses, the beast would have made the best of him several times over already.

Genome slashed and swung at Neiz, forcing him to fall back and pull his head down into his torso. When he popped back up, he was astonished to see some newcomer with long, red hair running down the center of their head, reaching down to their lower back, somehow blindsided the Imperfect Genome. He only caught a glimpse before it was sent smashing into the ground from the sheer force of the girl's blow. Neiz felt his jaw drop—completely at a loss as to who the woman was, or where she came from. Up until she turned her head, then he recognized an unmistakable likeness to a particular redheaded Android he fought against not too long ago.

Then it made sense. "You're...the new Android?"

"My name is Nina."

Neiz slowly nodded his head. "Alright...uh, thanks for the save—WATCH—," Nina spun around and dropped her heel against the side of Genome's head as it tried to blindside her. The bio-warrior was launched back into the ground—right where she sent him the first time. "Out..."

Nina made sure to turn herself toward the creature this time. Her first challenge. A test of her capabilities. Her limits.

How far could she go?

The Imperfect Genome lunged out of the rubble, shrieking and howling as it swung wildly at her. Nina dodged, but realized that instant she needed to go faster. The claws tore and nicked at her arms, legs, and sides. She needed to go faster still.

The creature was knocked out of the sky when Neiz brought his fists crashing down on its back. Nina was spared from the assault. He helped her. "Thank you, Neiz."

"Don't let your guard down. That little bastard is tricky, and doesn't like to stay down."

"I am stronger," she said, confidently. She had to be. She could see that the creature was weaker than both of them. Resilient, fast, but weak. Nina looked at Neiz. "You should help your friends. I can handle this."

"You sure about that? Aren't you...kinda new?"

Nina's attention turned a split second before Genome came lunging out of the dirt again. She moved to block its path to Neiz, knocking the bio-warrior off balance with an elbow across its jaw. Next she laid into it with a blinding barrage of blows that ended with another one-way ticket back into the ground.

The rubble settled for a third time, and Neiz just chuckled with amusement. "Alright. Just stay on guard."

"Thank you. Be safe." Neiz gave a gleeful scoff before he flew off. Nina was ready to face the challenge herself.

A beam tore up from the rubble, aimed straight for her. Nina backhanded the blast out of the way, but noticed a second too late that Genome had lunged out of the dirt. He spun around her and slammed his heel in the back of her head. Nina was thrown from the sky and sent straight toward the ground this time. She crashed hard, and bounced off of the ground before catching herself. Her fingers and single shoe tore into the dirt until she finally dragged to a stop.

Predict the next move. Follow up attack. Counter.

Nina flipped around and spotted Genome a moment before he would have struck. His claw threatened to run her through. She reacted before the thought could pass through her head—sweeping her leg across to divert the strike into the ground next to her. Nina spun around and sprung away from Genome, whose claw left him stuck in the ground.

The memory of Neiz kicked into full effect. Unique wave vibrations caused when focusing charged energy across a concentrated area. Arms—hands, specifically. It was very complex, but she knew it, somehow. The Binding Wave took a light blue effect as it snapped around her hands. Something also familiar. She fired the attack at Genome before it could free himself, which left the bio-warrior fully paralyzed and trapped by her energy wave.

Next, to test her maximum output. She raised a gloved hand and charged a compressed, angry ball of raw burning power. She launched the ball with perfect accuracy, and blinding speed. The orb detonated, and the blast radius consumed the paralyzed Genome entirely. There was a momentary shriek before it was burned out of existence.

As the light and dust settled, Nina had her confirmation that the creature was gone. She could go further. But she had to test her limits. She had to help them more.

* * *

The self proclaimed 'middle-child' of the Imperfect Genomes was stronger than Dore initially believed. He felt offended that he was stuck with the big, hulking, ugly bastard that had a transformation that increased his power and size to match Dore's. It was almost like Cell had the deliberate intention to subvert any potential aid Gohan could have. That thought only pissed him off even more.

With the transformation, Genome had forced Dore to use his Heat Burst Technique just to keep up. He swore to use it on Cell. But with the Genomes about, there was no holding back against them.

"TAKE THIS!" The fighting stopped—an instant later, the blue Genome was shrouded in a familiar electric aura. Dore looked up in the direction the familiar attack was launched from, and saw his trusty partner hanging in the sky.

"Neiz?!"

"Out of the way, Dore!" The green skinned brute pulled away as his partner sent a razor sharp, X-shaped energy blades down at his foe. The Neiz Slicer struck its target, splitting the massive clone into four pieces that slowly fell out of the air. "Finish it off!"

Dore whooped in victory, charging a sparkling bright orb of power in his palms. "Together!"

Neiz grinned and matched Dore's attack. "Right! Armored Squadron's—,"

"LIGHT SHOW!" Their united beam burned brighter than every as the dazzling energy came crashing down on the dismembered bio-warrior. The explosion seared the ground and burned a crater into the earth itself. No chance of regeneration. Dore turned to his partner with a scrutinizing glare. "How the hell did you beat yours before me?!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! I basically defeated yours for you!"

"AH-HA! So you didn't beat yours!"

Neiz stammered, then quickly scowled. "You're lucky I showed up to help you, and not Salza! But all you want to do is _bitch_!"

"I'm not bitching! I'm asking you a freaking question!" Their conversation was cut short when something shot past them with the force of a torpedo. Dore spun around in a flustered panic while Neiz barely blinked. "What the hell was that?!"

The Zaltian sighed. "That's the new Android..."

* * *

Staying on the defensive helped to decipher and pick apart the eldest Genome's fighting style. He was silent, confident at first, but after Salza began avoiding and blocking all of his strikes, it changed to silent and frustrated. Their fight was one prolonged skirmish, with Salza gaining the advantage over time. He just needed to wait for an opening.

Salza snapped his energy blade to his hand and lashed out. Genome pulled away quickly, and charged a purple disc in his hand. He hurled it immediately, and Salza twirled around to avoid the attack. A moment later, he recognized the attack. The disc curved toward him, following Genome's hand. Salza drove his hand down—his blade piercing the Death Saucer. He twisted to the side and swung his arm at Genome and pushed his energy out. The blade extended out suddenly and sliced off Genome's left arm, and part of his head carapace.

"GAH! You fucking—," Genome pulled his fingers up to his head and charged a sparking ball at his fingertips. Salza sensed the intense, concentrated power that built up at that singular point. An attack that powerful was likely to be fired in an instant. "Special Beam CANNON!"

Salza centered his senses and focus on Genome, seeing the movement in his attack. He swiftly ducked low before the bio-warrior extended his arm. The beam tore through the space Salza drifted around. Genome caught the fact his attack was null a moment too late. The beam died out as he gave a faint, shocked gasp. Salza hovered silently behind his target as they fell into two pieces.

As Genome's upper half fell away from his legs, Salza turned and hurled a volleyball sized orb of golden energy that he cast downward. The blast consumed both halves, scorching the air and burning the bio-warrior to nothingness.

"All zhat effort..." Salza was almost disappointed. But he exceeded expectations—Cell's and his own. But the real battle had only begun.

He looked over just in time to see a person—someone he recognized. Nina was up and creating havoc for Cell's army. Salza smiled with pride at the creation he was a part of. It was good that all of their efforts in Nina paid off. Though he wondered if she wasn't a little too bold once he saw where the new Android was headed.

* * *

Their skirmish carried further away from the larger battles than most, impacts and blasts carrying destructive force as Nico and Semi-Perfect Genome pushed against each other with limitless energy and stamina. Nico's anger was fueled by the Genome's uncanny likeness to his progenitor, down to the green coloration. Their limits were matched, as was their progression against the other, prolonging the seemingly endless battle of attrition.

The combatants crashed together, pushing against the other's forearm, unyieldingly. Genome quickly pulled his head back and smashed his hardened carapace against her forehead. Nico was thrown back, but quickly regained her footing as the bio-warrior pressed forward. He was stopped when she launched a savage punch to the jaw. Nico made sure to dig her knuckles in furiously before she swung her leg around, slamming hard into Genome's side. The Bio-Android curved against the impact, but quickly grabbed her leg before she could pull away. He grabbed her by the vest, yanked her forward and spun around sharply. Nico was thrown straight for the ground at blinding speeds before she managed to stop herself, just she smashed into the ground. She moved her feet below herself, touching down briefly against the ground before she launched herself back into the air.

Genome raised his hands up, fingertips and thumbs pressed together to form a triangle pointed at her. "Tri-Beam...HA!" A scorching beam of light was released from the space between his hands as Nico continued skyward. The blast hit the ground with oppressive force—boring an angular hole in the ground below.

The light faded out, and a moment later, Genome's head was nearly knocked off of his shoulders by the force of Nico's heel slamming into the side of his dome. The green warrior tumbled over in the air, but quickly righted himself to face the swirling beam of pink and crimson energy spiraling down on him. Genome caught the beam with his hands, but struggled to keep it from spinning out of his grasp. The bio-warrior gathered all of his might as he shoved the beam energy wave downward. It detonated on impact with the ground, forming a dome of light that ate away at the rock and dirt to form a deep crater in the surface.

Genome quickly lashed his arms out, flinging a pair of pink Energy Pincers out at the rushing Android. Nico rolled to the side to avoid the first pair, but Genome launched more and more until she was moving deliberately out of the way. The green bio-warrior started to spin around and around, releasing a barrage of razor sharp, pink energy blades in all directions, forming an offensive, destructive vortex around him. Genome got his space from Nico, but his attacks threatened to reach even further, as the Razor Tornado moved closer back to the Resistance forces.

Nico moved to act, but something—someone beat her to the punch. A blurring figure moved to the top of the tornado and shot straight down. The pink vortex of energy pincers broke apart from a resounding impact from the center that sent both figures crashing into the ground. A sudden burst sent the loose debris and dirt flying out, along with a redheaded figure flipped backward through the air before landing smoothly on the ground. The cloud of dirt around the Semi-Perfect Genome was thrown apart as a burning, fiery aura flared dangerously around him. His and Nico's eyes were focused on the new fighter.

"Nina..." She was active—alive. And then she was gone.

Genome's fiery presence exploded across the battlefield, pushing Nina back as their skirmish tore across the ground. Their speed and strength were on different levels, but Nina's movements were more precise, more fluid to counter Genome's more ferocious, angry assault. Nico quickly flew in to assist in the battle.

Nina's eyes flickered as Genome's arm cocked back and launched forward faster than she momentarily process. The punch threw her head back sharply, and sent Nina tumbling over through the air. Before she could catch herself, the green fighter appeared above her, and sent her crashing into the ground with a powerful drop kick. Genome was then knocked out of the air with a savage shoulder charging into him as Nico bowled through him. He spun around sharply, breaking the charge to engage directly in another violent brawl. Nico held the edge for a moment, but Genome's enhanced power boost allowed him to even out with her quickly. She was pushed back on the defensive, but before Genome could capitalize on his advantage, he was sidelined yet again by a spinning drop kick that sent him flying away.

Nico got a closer look at the unique life in front of her, as the taller Android landed next to her. "Nina?"

She turned her head, "Yes?"

Nico just smiled at the familiar neutrality next to her again. "I'm happy to see you."

Nina nodded her head and turned her attention back to their joint enemy. "That aura is known as the Burning Shoot. It increases his speed and power, based on the momentum he can build up. If we engage him in close range—,"

"His boost wears off," Nico finished.

"Affirmative."

Genome came charging into battle, throwing his hands forward to launch a pair of golden energy bombs. The girls prepared themselves against the offensive, but the orbs curved to opposite sides immediately as Genome blitzed into them. The three were launched into a fierce battle, fists and feet flying in every direction. The harder they pushed against Genome, the clearer it became that Nina's earlier statement was correct. The fiery aura started to wane and weaken against their combined efforts. Nico moved forward to take an opening Genome gave her, but she was pulled back very suddenly by her partner. The two energy orbs Genome launched prior came crashing together in front of them, erupting in a blinding explosion.

Nina shot through the smoke and continued the assault against the burning Genome on her own. They tore across the surface, moving faster and faster. The harder they were pushed, the more Nina's combative prowess improved over the dimming, burning aura around her opponent. Before long, Genome was fully on the defensive against the cold, relentless engagement. Nina's fists hammered against Genome's arms, pushing him back a few more paces, finishing with one powerful punch that broke his defense. His arms moved over his vision, and in that moment Nina was gone—ducked directly beneath before she swung her leg across to kick the bio-warrior's feet out from under him. Genome was tossed off the ground, and an instant later a rising knee came smashing into his spine—arching his back around the blow. Nina shifted over quickly and pushed her palm into the green clone's exposed, raised gut, driving him back into the ground with crushing force. A blur of movement happened, but the result ended with Genome driven back into the ground after attempting to get up again—with the impression of Nina's knuckles dented on his face.

A series of flashes flickered over Genome's body—charged with compressed energy, as Nina recognized it. She needed protection. Genome shouted in fury and might as he released an explosive energy wave that pushed out immediately. The wave expanded violently—but met with a powerful and immediate wave of resistance. The dome of light was broken by an explosion that threw a smoldering body out from the smoke. Genome landed and rolled across the ground in a limp heap before he came to a stop. The smoke cleared from the blast, and revealed Nina surrounded by a green energy barrier that she herself was curious about.

"Interesting..."

Genome struggled to push himself off of the ground. The injuries from the recoil of his explosive wave were too severe to keep fighting. He would have to fall back and regenerate to even stand a chance. When he finally rose to his feet, Genome turned around into a striking spin-kick to the head that sent him careening into the distance.

Nico pulled her arm back and charged a swirling ball of dark crimson and pink energy, and unleashed the full might of her rose colored wave after her target. The blast tore after and swallowed the green menace whole—spiraling and shredding his body to nothingness as the wave detonated with destructive force.

Nico lowered her hand and turned as Nina landed on the ground next to her. "You must return to help the Resistance."

"Not even a moment to enjoy the victory huh?" Nico smiled at her new sister's perplexed look. "What do you think you're going to be doing if I go back?"

"I can still proceed beyond my current limitations. I will help Trunks in his battle against the final bio-warrior, so that he does not expend all of his energy."

Nico almost felt offended that she was being pushed out by the new girl, but Nina was the one who recognized Genome's tactics, and was the one to put him down. And if she was as smart as her predecessors, then her claim of going further was undoubtedly true too.

"Nina...be safe." Nico turned around to rejoin the Resistance.

Nina felt an impulse. "Nico?" The pale young woman turned around with a curious look. Nina felt that impulse again. "I...feel I should thank you. Though I am not entirely certain why though..."

Nico smiled. "No need for thanks. We're family, Nina." There was that word again.

Nina nodded her head and left quickly to head toward clashing golden and red auras in the distance, as Nico watched her leave. She knew by training with Gohan and Trunks over the last seven days that her potential and capability to grow were limited. Unlike Nina, however. Bulma accurately predicted that her unique intelligence would allow her body and the artificial enhancements to increase her potential by leaps and bounds. Nico wished she could see how far Nina could go on her first day, but she had a new date with an army of ugly mutant insects.

* * *

The closer she got to the battle, the easier it was to start picking up on the exact movements during Trunks and Perfect Genome's fight. Their speed and strength were greater than any of the other battles Nina had put herself in. This is was going to be a true test. The two clashing super powers fired an identical beam at the other—a powerful, violet stream of energy that blocked the light out around them, and sent forces of wind lashing out around them. Nina did not blink as she picked up her feet and pushed faster.

Trunks pushed hard against Genome's Galick Gun as the two were locked in a struggle for supremacy. On the other side of the conflict, Genome was smirking with confidence as he pushed to match Trunks' output. He gathered his energy and pushed it down inside of him, keeping it ready to call forth at a moment's notice to finally overwhelm the Saiyan youth, and end him for good. Before Genome could prolong the struggle, something came sweeping into the side of his head, and broke the beam struggle as the bio-warrior was pulled to the side by a savage leg.

Genome whirled his head back with a snarl, meeting Nina's analytical gaze. He swung his arm back with a clenched fist. Nina raised her arm and leg together to brace against the crushing impact, and was launched across the air. Too strong.

Trunks came burning onto the scene bringing his own fist down across Genome's face. The red warrior turned his bloody scowl back to his enemy as the two locked in another skirmish of lighting-fast blows. Soon, their auras exploded around them, red and gold turning, twisting, and clashing through the air with thunderous force. Nina kept her eyes on the battle, darting back and forth with increasing speed to follow their movements completely. She took a moment to recognize the level at which Genome and Trunks were fighting at before she launched back into the fray.

The high powered fight was broken when Genome was sidelined by an Android's fist crashing into his jaw. Trunks didn't miss the opportunity a second time and threw a powerful punch upward, crashing and pushing deep into the bio-warrior's stomach. Genome doubled over with a strained scream until he was sent spinning towards the ground with a sharp heel-drop to the back of the head, courtesy of Nina.

Trunks took the break from the battle to get a better look at his unexpected savior. Nina looked back with a passive, idly curious stare. "My name is Nina."

"I'm...Trunks. Thanks for the help."

"You are welcome." Her eyes squinted just a bit and studied him, almost as if she was trying to remember something. "You are Bulma's child."

"That's...right."

"I am just now remembering. She is responsible for giving me life as well."

Trunks gawked and stammered awkwardly as he tried, and failed, to think of an appropriate response to the new Android's uncomfortably valid statement. Nina just watched him curiously, until an explosive uprising tore into the sky with a raging red aura. Genome frowned at the pair in front of him, both ready for an assault that he had no intention of leading. He kept his true power hidden, but facing two formidable opponents changed that.

"He is stronger now?"

"Yeah, he is. But he's not stronger than me."

"Wait." Trunks watched Genome carefully, who seemed more than patient to wait them out. "Do not push yourself. I can assist."

Genome smirked at them. "This is humanity's ace in the hole? A Super Saiyan brat and some...automaton?" His burning aura waned slowly, leaving a faint glow over his pristine crimson body. "Well...father truly did give you people too much credit."

"Do you have more of your brothers in hiding to help you?"

The red bio-warrior remained cool under pressure without a trace of arrogance on his face. His poker face did not inspire confidence in Trunks. The difference between their power levels was already hard to draw without another freaking ace in the hole to deal with.

"What do you pieces of trash know about the research of one Doctor Wheelo?"

"Nearly seventy years ago, Wheelo attempted to create an artificial army of genetically engineered warriors with the help of his assistant," Nina said, answering Genome's question on the spot. Her memories, some of them were planted in, and had become unlocked over time. They were just noise for the most part, until she needed to access them. "His main laboratory was encased in ice for fifty years, until a conflict with Son Goku—,"

"The army," Trunks spoke. Genome smirked at the revelation set out in the open.

"Doctor Gero used notes from Doctor Wheelo in Cell's construction," Nina remembered. That information was programmed naturally, somewhere in her complex brain. "Cell used his own perfected genetic code to complete what Wheelo could not, and create an army of bio-warriors in his image. Specifically from a sample of his own DNA as a template."

Genome's smile turned bitter as he turned his eyes to Nina. "Well...she is rather clever. And a spoil-sport too. But yes, that's exactly what father did."

"Trunks, before he reveals their last trump card, I think you should double back to our main forces." Both heads turned to the redheaded Android, who had her attention solely bored into the red Bio-Android. Genome's face curled into a vicious frown, flashing his teeth in disapproval at Nina's penetrating observations. "The Genome Brothers were clearly meant to draw the main forces away, not unlike how Cell drew Gohan away."

The realization hit Trunks like a ton of bricks. Their greatest strength, against all Androids—Cell included, was their unity. Reaching back to the Red Ribbon Army's revival, to the Devil's Pair, and through the last two weeks. Gohan's words, his reasoning through everything started to slowly piece together. Cell was the culmination of all of it, all the pain and grief and obsession, and he knew that dividing their strength would be the best way to take them out. Trunks and the others would never risk the others in a high stakes battle with their tremendous powers, and Cell was counting on that very protective instinct. If Perfect Genome's expression was any indication, Nina's observation was on the money.

"Nina...are you sure you're strong enough to handle this...?"

"She's not!" Genome spat.

"I am," Nina said, solely to Trunks. The ignored bio-warrior was immediately infuriated by her neutral, contradicting statement. Nina floated around Trunks and stopped in front of him, setting herself up between Genome and the young Saiyan ward with a defensive stance. "I have not yet reached my maximum limitations, even as I remember more about my progenitors. The people who...are apart of me. One memory in particular stands out that I believe will accelerate that process."

Nina held her stance, unflinching, and unwavering. The air around her slowly began to heat up and roll with intensity, as Trunks quickly noticed. Genome made no notice of any changes to the warrior's air or appearance. With a final, concentrated push, Nina's power surged forcefully through her entire being, causing a violent, red aura to spark like a storm around her. Trunks was pushed back by the force of the Android's sudden burst of power, and even Genome wore a look of surprise.

Her eyes were wide with the sudden surge as her body settled into the raw force that scorched and pushed the winds out violently. Nina's aura died out, but there was a concentrated red glow tightly compressed around her body. She took a moment to appreciate the newfound technique—the focus, the power. She was ready to test her speed.

Perfect Genome missed her movement in a blink, and completely caught off guard as Nina drove her fist into the bio-warrior's midsection. He doubled over, howling in agony as he folded over the Red Android's shoulder. Nina pulled her arm back, spun around, and shot her elbow up into her foe's jaw. Genome was launched to the side, and forcibly yanked himself to a stop. A trail of purple blood ran down from the edge of his snarling mouth.

Nina reclaimed her defensive position, eyes glued to Genome as she turned her head toward Trunks. "Go."

The young Saiyan was astounded by what he witnessed—or rather the aftermath of what he didn't see. In spite of the loss and desperation they had to endure to create Nina, Trunks felt that they were true to Vi's request of making the biggest badass possible. Earth's newest champion was definitely going to be one for the history books. So would the people that made her being possible.

Trunks departed the two warriors, one stoic and even, one bitter and furious. "You really think you'll make a difference? Father designed me to take down warriors stronger than you!"

"Cooler." Nina's mind refreshed on the Arcosian tyrant, and his very personal history with Cell. The conclusion only continued to sour Genome's mood. "I assume your final ace is more formidable then?"

"Only my father is stronger than me." Genome folded his arms over his chest in an attempt to reel in his anger. "Though what he has prepared for the others...not even your appearance will make a difference in this battle."

"Then perhaps we should continue."

The two red forces shot into each other and smashed together in a full on, blitzing assault. Nina's newfound speeds rivaled Genome's, and continued to rise to meet the increasing pace. The skirmish broke apart as the red comets raced across the sky, soaring and crashing together with twin streaks of crimson trailing behind them. Nina stopped, and shot herself even higher, high above the clouds. Genome turned sharply and pursued closely behind her. They spiraled into the sky together, and continued trading blows in the air.

Nina dead dropped out of the way of a fist aimed for her face, caught herself, and shot her sneaker into his chest. The impact threw Genome back, but he continued to drift back, his palm pushed out and firing a barrage of energy bombs. Nina's eyes moved in a blur, tracing the most direct path—and found an opening. There was a glowing red streak of light that fired through the barrage of energy blasts, ducking, twisting between the explosives without brushing against a single one. Nina broke through the storm, and engaged Genome in close combat once again—landing a few hits thanks to the momentary shock the bio-warrior had to reel back from.

The assault began anew, with Nina holding a slight edge from the start that Genome couldn't break free from. She showed very few openings, and Genome was picking up the pace to compensate. His prowess was growing, just like Nina's.

A punch missed—Genome pulled his head to the side to dodge and traded fists. His knuckles dug into Nina's cheek, and sent her plummeting toward the ground. Genome shot through the clouds like a meteorite, crashing furiously into Nina to send her smashing into the ground completely.

Nina was pushed into the ground, with both of Genome's fists digging her deeper through rock and earth. She quickly pulled her legs up and slammed her knees into the bottom of his jaw to break his attack. The red bio-warrior bounced off of the rock-wall as Nina rolled backward, and slammed back into Genome and pushed him all the way back out of the hole with explosive force. Once they reached the surface again, the two warriors jumped apart, taking their stances across from one another. Perfect Genome continued to scowl at his quiet adversary across the distance between them.

And then, the earth beneath their feet moved.

Nina's mind flew into action when she recognized the shift as something unnatural—not an earthquake, nor a result of Gohan and Cell's battle still miles away. There was only one logical conclusion, and Genome's sudden, twisted smile confirmed her theory. Their final ace in the hole.

* * *

The ground shook and broke apart, tearing cracks and crevices all across the empty valley—between the battles being fought on either side. The earth itself started to raise up, pushed apart by something colossal. Dirt and rock burst into the air, accompanied by a resonating roar that carried for miles as a monstrous behemoth clawed its way out of the earth itself. The gigantic beast, fashioned in some hideous parody of Cell's own Perfect Form, was as tall as a Great Ape, but almost twice as long with its large, spider-like abdomen with two sets of legs, a pair of arms, two sets of horn-fins on top of its head, and expanded, spiked shoulder pauldrons.

Nina's eyes widened as she examined the behemoth, over kilometer away. She had no way of properly gaging its strength from sight alone, but its size and appearance alone presented an incredible threat to the Resistance. It truly was a marvel of genetic engineering—if only it wasn't aimed to kill thousands of innocents.

"That thing..."

"That was father's first attempt to recreate himself," Genome explained. "It's...rather unique, isn't it? His name is Cell-X. Father couldn't quite stabilize the physical form with the amount of power it has. Me, however..." The red bio-warrior chuckled as he unfolded his arms and held them out to his sides. "I am the refined, honed. I am the perfected spawn of my father. That? Well...Cell-X will show just how devastating he can be."

* * *

The monstrosity unleashed another terrifying roar and hurled a glowing, radiating blue orb straight for the Resistance forces. There was no intended target—allies or enemies, they were all at risk to be hit with the miniature blue sun.

The war between the Resistance and the Cell Horde stopped their battle to gawk and marvel at their imminent destruction as a bright blue glow was cast over both armies. Before either side could be devastated by the attack, a blinding golden force flew by with another blur to knock the attack off course—far beyond the west end of the battlefield. The resulting blast was large enough to consume a mountain range.

Trunks and Nico stood together, ready to take the fight to the green behemoth that dominated the battlefield. The young Super Saiyan made a note about Nina's accurate prediction to Cell's plan. He had a feeling that it was going to be an unfortunate habit, if they could live through the day.

"We're not gonna let that thing pass!" Nico shouted.

Gohan's hand was forced—too busy to deal with Cell himself to tackle a threat so huge. But with Nina's help, Trunks' hand was not. "Trunks!" He and Nico turned as the Armored Squadron came up behind him. "We're wizh you!"

Even more was the point. Nina's assistance gave them the chance to stand united against Cell-X. Trunks turned to lead the team, powering up to his max. "Right. We can do this guys!"

"Hell yeah we can!" Dore laughed as he powered up his dark green aura.

"No backing down now!"

Trunks prepared to lead the charge, but stopped at the last moment. Salza, Dore, and Neiz sensed it a moment later. They all turned their heads toward the new disturbance, zeroing in fast.

"That...is that...?"

"Lord Cooler," Salza murmured.

* * *

In seconds, the monarch came into sight, and a breath later he soared over the battlefield, and straight for Cell-X. The beast was knocked on its side when the furious momentum Cooler carried slammed into its face at top speed. It howled in agony as it tipped over and crashed on its side. The impact caused another earthquake, throwing a new cloud of dirt and rock into the air. Hovering above the beast, Cooler's eyes were vicious and cold, downcast as the ploom of dust rose up and swallowed him too.

A powerful energy blast tore through the cloud and shot into the sky above. The cloud dispersed as Cell-X fired a deafening energy cannon from its mouth that darkened the battlefield for everyone, as the blue wave of energy sailed into the sky. As the beam faded, sunlight resumed as Cell-X stood up on all its feet. Before it could take another step, a series of purple beams tore across the beast's back, ripping through its chest from one shoulder to the next. With another furious roar, it turned and fired another powerful beam from its mouth, and once again hit nothing. Cooler had already moved, and reappeared in front of Cell-X just as it turned around to fire. The Arcosian threw his arms out, snapping two energy blades around his hands as he circled around to the behemoth's side. Cell-X looked down, just in time to watch the purple glowing mosquito launched himself forward.

Cooler crossed his blades in front of him to cut a path through the colossal beast's dense body. His blades ripped through the beast, following the trail of holes left from his Death Beams, connecting the dots, all the way until he pushed through the other side. Cooler turned and dropped the energy blades around his arms and watched the two massive halves of Cell-X fall apart from each other, each crashing into the ground heavily. The proud Arcosian stood tall, huffed bitterly, and rose higher into the air quickly.

Everyone watched as Cooler floated high above the bisected giant. He lifted his arm high above his head—his forefinger and little finger extended high, summoning a pair of miniature suns, each about the since of a marble. Cooler threw his arm down, launching the tiny, fiery bombs quickly at the two halves. On impact with Cell-X's remains, the tiny supernovas expanded, large enough to consume both ends—and slammed into each other, which caused a terrifying explosion. The devastating blast ripped across the empty fields, consuming everything in its wake, tearing and burning through every last fiber of Cell-X.

Once the momentum of the blast receded, and Cooler had visual confirmation that the monstrosity was destroyed, he vanished in a blur. He tore across the horizon and sky, straight to the next biggest powers lingering in the mountains to the northeast. The monarch came to a sudden stop next to Gohan, eyes fixed calmly, intensely on Cell, who was looking none too pleased at the new arrival.

Gohan just smiled with joy as he took a good look at Cooler. His bio-armor had changed slightly. His shoulders were pointed, sleeker, his chest armor reached further down his back—narrowing down his spine, and stopping just above his tail. The legs and arms were much the same, except they already had dark blue gems sticking out of them, albeit smaller than in his Fifth Form. More than that, Gohan could sense the change in Cooler, more than his energy, more than his appearance. He was a new man.

"You're looking...good, Cooler," Gohan offered with a winded sigh.

"You've certainly have seen better days."

"I've seen worse ones too."

Cooler hummed, his face showing no signs of emotion. He only had eyes for Cell, in all his bitter scowling that his big surprise was a pitiful distraction. "No witty remarks? Nothing clever to say?" Cooler's energy spiked dramatically—growing higher and higher in seconds. "Good."

With a booming, resonating shout, Cooler's form expanded and changed in seconds. His Fifth Form changed with his base form, but shared many of the same traits. His height increase was nowhere near as dramatic as before, and his muscles expanded to a dense, more toned mass to match his altered tallness. His bio-armor hugged his muscles, expanding and growing around them, rather than over them. His head piece pushed forward, but wrapped around the top of his head like a second skull, and pushed the gem that ran over his head forward into the center of his forehead. Blue gems pushed out through the armor on his shoulders. He lost the horns, spikes, and menace, but gained a balanced, more practical combat form. His eyes, more than anything, showed the same clear focus as his previous state—no longer covered in an angry red sheet, they were focused, frigid scarlet orbs.

Gohan watched the sudden, quick transformation in awe and amazement. Cooler tightened his fists as his power settled into his new form. Cell was looking even more frustrated at the Super Arcosian.

"Wow...time well spent huh?"

"I've a clear purpose now." Cooler finally pulled his eyes away from Cell and turned to Gohan. He saw something...soft in the powerful monarch's eyes. "My family was a plague to the universe. They're better off dead." He turned back, staring furiously at what remained of Frieza, of 'King' Cold. What remained of a once retched memory in his bloodline. A noble bloodline that he too had shamed time and again long before arriving to Earth. "I will no longer follow in their shadow. And I will make sure that every trace of them is purged from existence." Cooler tilted his head forward, and bent his arms up slightly. "I made you a promise when we first met, Cell! It's time I deliver you to death's door!"

Cooler blasted forward with fresh, untapped speeds, ramming into Cell with tremendous force. A barrage of hammering strikes landed across his form, with a savage head butt launching Cell down, tearing a trench across the dirt.

Once again, Cell was made witness to a new form. He was the first to see, and he would be the first to die.

* * *

 **Alright! This is clutch time people. Only three more chapters left for this fic after...I don't even wanna think about how long I've been working on it honestly. Hopefully you guys don't mind my little twist to Cell's messed up games. But you know, humanity fighting for their lives against a big army, Gohan leading the charge only to be saved by Cooler...kinda wanted to do a full circle thing. Other than that, more Dragon Ball Online reference material, including Genome, Cell-X, and basically the rest of his horde. Throw in some lazy explanation involving Doctor Wheelo, and bam, you got an armada. That being said, few things I wanna address.**

 **So, I know a few of you have been pushing for a 'Golden Cooler' form, and I'm...well, frankly, I'm not totally sorry I didn't deliver. Keep in mind, I wasn't fully committed to continuing these stories in this universe, and I never planned on giving him a Golden form in this story. I was planning on altering his Fifth Form though for awhile though, so hopefully it's a good enough for the time being. 'Time being' meaning that it's...well, it's in the cards. It was just never a plan for this story. Sorry, not sorry guys.**

 **The next thing is Nina. I'm sorry if her introduction was...strange? I've never had to write the birth of a super advanced, sophisticated, half-artificial being being before with the processing power of a super-computer. Hopefully I pulled that off well enough for you guys. I say for you guys, because...well, think of Nina as Android 3, Mk. 2. As I've said previously (at least I think so?) I was planning to kill Android 3 off with the rest of her siblings, AND THEN she was supposed to die in her fight against Android 19, and both times her popularity kept her alive. For the sake of the story, I had to nerf her, which kinda sucked. So then, Cell needs to make a point of how ruthless he is, kills a bunch of people, fuse em all together and you get the fan-child for this fanfiction. So Nina's life is all your fault. Good job everyone, you totally screwed up Cell's master plan. Well, you guys and Cooler with his Big Damn Hero moment.**

 **And you might have noticed the image change for Frigid Future. Yes, that is Nina that I made in Xenoverse 2's character creation. Fan-child is also poster child now!**

 **Until next time guys and gals! Thank you for reading this far. Know that reading and reviewing fuels my writing addictions.**


	19. Chapter 19: A Hero Awakens

Gohan watched in awe as Cell was throw across the dirt, with Cooler in his altered, more focused form, stood tall. He dropped down and planted himself firmly on the ground, standing across from where Cell started to stir. The infuriated green fighter kicked himself up to his feet, a heated glare fixed on the stoic Arcosian. Cell smiled, standing to full height as he met the prince's eyes.

"Well, this is quite a change, your highness. Training hard or—,"

Cooler vanished in an instant. Cell barely caught the movement in time, shifting his attention down to the speed demon that stood in front of him. He was given even less time to defend from the savage onslaught pressed against him—started with a punishing punch that nearly shattered Cell's forearm. The storm of Cooler's fists flew with intensity, driving Cell back further and further as the Bio-Android pushed himself just to keep up with the defense. None of his hits were landing, but the very fact that Cell was pushed back was an insult to his ego. Both warriors pulled their arms back, ready to strike together. Cooler feinted, vanishing again as Cell drove his fist through the phantom afterimage. Another spike of fury coursed through the Bio-Android's veins as he turned into a crashing purple fist that collided with his jaw.

The skirmish began anew, moving in a different direction, still at Cooler's lead. Cell managed to block the second strike, and every following blow. His golden aura burst to life, spiking his energy. The look of shock on Cooler's face made Cell grin as his kick launched the Arcosian backward, crashing through a rock formation. Cooler quickly spun around amidst the airborne debris as his aura exploded around him, taking a deep, burning blue. Before the rubble even flew past, Cooler launched himself forward, tearing the rocks to dust as he rocketed in toward Cell.

Blue crashed into gold, pushing and pulling the air around them with the raw momentum of their blistering skirmish. Neither side relented to the other, causing the ground beneath their feet to shake and crack apart violently as they clashed with thunderous force. The longer they matched, the angrier Cell became that his former plaything now had the strength to be taken seriously. He refused to lose to the passive, unflinching scarlet stare that bore into him relentlessly. Cell would not be looked down on by those blasted eyes again.

A sudden third aura threatened to crash down on both of them, separating the skirmishing pair. Gohan turned toward his intended target, and lunged for Cell just as Cooler pushed forward without missing a beat to assault the green monster together. The Super Saiyan and Super Arcosian managed to push their foe back at a breakneck pace that could scarcely be met. Gohan on the left, Cooler on the right—it was all Cell could to do keep them both at bay. It wasn't long before even that small bit of control was taken out of his hands.

Gohan swung his leg low, kicking Cell's foot off of the ground. It was enough to provide Cooler with an opening. He pushed forward, driving his fist into the arrogant Bio-Android's face. The force of the blow sent Cell tearing across the surface of the ground. When he came to his feet, he was forced to fend off Cooler once again, while Gohan circled behind. Cell ducked below Cooler's initial strike, twisting backward to fire a single, searing beam back at the Super Saiyan. The Arcosian's knee shot up suddenly and rammed into Cell's chest, lifting him off the ground, hunched over with spittle flying out of his gawking mouth. Unfortunately for the battered warrior, Gohan deflected his delaying blast effortlessly. Cell was driven into the ground when Cooler brought his fists crashing down on the perfect warrior's spine, burying him deep into the dirt.

Cell's power exploded violently around him—a moment after Cooler moved away. A golden flash tore away at everything around him, as the empowered warrior stood tall. It was apparent that there was no chance of survival if he had to face both warriors at once. In the air above, Gohan appeared next to Cooler with a confident smile.

"Hope you don't mind me jumping in like that," the Super Saiyan offered.

Cooler just shrugged without even looking at Gohan. "I've failed to kill this enemy almost as many times as I've tried to kill you. Besides..." He finally turned to his most unlikely comrade. "I owe you for intervening in my battle with the Devil's Pair, remember?"

Gohan raised his brow at the unexpected joke, and gave his partner a sideways smirk, "You mean when I saved you?"

"And now we're even."

There was an unusual sense of peace between them, something common that they shared. A sense of survival, and of honor. They were both warriors united to a single cause. Gohan certainly enjoyed the more casual air between them, as opposed to the one-sided hostility.

Cell narrowed his eyes before he lifted off the ground to hover on the same level as his foes. The air between the three fighters was scorching hot, rolling with intensity of their rising powers. "You think this makes a difference? You think I wasn't ready for this?" Neither said a word in response. Rather than feeding into Cell's arrogance, Cooler and Gohan charged their auras with a cold, passive stare, and a confident smirk on their faces respectively. The villain scowled as his aura burned to match Gohan's, raising to a greater intensity than either warrior separately.

There was no hesitation as the trio moved back into their brawl.

* * *

The battle against the Cell Horde took a turn in favor of the Resistance, once the Armored Squadron, Nico, and Trunks returned from battling the Genome brothers. Nina's battle with Perfect Genome continued, far from the armies, and with no clear victor in sight. Nico and Trunks refused to fully take their eyes off the battle for too long as a result. If Perfect Genome did defeat Nina, he could do some serious damage to their people before they could stop him.

The heroes focused to rid Cell's army of the aerial superiority for the time being, purging the miniature green and blue Cell Juniors that buzzed around like obnoxious bees. Blues seemed to favor energy blasts, while the green breeds were faster and more coordinated, but were nothing compared to the heroes. They were evasive and powerful enough to give the Resistance its share of trouble in packs, but without their numbers, humanity regained aerial superiority, and soon control over the battlefield itself. The other dangers were the massive, ferocious red warbeasts that bore an a striking resemblance to Semi-Perfect Cell's monstrous form. They could rip apart a Battle Jacket, and overwhelm the Giras if left unattended. Aoi, his fighters, and Battle Jackets were about the only things the Resistance had that could stop the monsters. Another task that was simple enough for their empowered heroes, along with some well placed coordination of their own.

"Zhe numbers are dwindling! Zhis is our chance to spread out and finish zhem off for good!"

Trunks could see the breaks the horde's numbers below. The Resistance pushed back hard against their enemy. The full might of Earth's armada hammered against and rolled over the legions of grotesque bio-bugs. Even the more dangerous monstrosities were beginning to fall easier.

"Alright," he shouted. "Split up everyone! Let's end this!"

Neiz cackled and whooped as he dashed away, eager like the rest to end the battle for good. Dore let out a booming battle cry and blasted off in a different direction than his partner. Salza took the charge against the main force to help lead the bulk of Resistance forces. Nico silently dashed toward the horde's flank, preparing to stop any attempt they might make to flee.

Trunks took a moment to sense the battle further away—the battle he couldn't even see himself. Cooler's arrival really did make the difference for Gohan, but there was no way of knowing for sure if that would be enough. Nina changed things for them too, and that had already shown to make a world of difference for the Resistance. And Gohan had trusted Trunks to make it all count. The young Super Saiyan powered up, preparing to dive into the horde.

* * *

The two red warriors recoiled from mutually dealt impact that resonated across their battlefield. Genome's eyes shifted past Nina—to his father's army. They were losing. His brothers were just as useless in the end. The Armored Squadron, Gero's last Android, and the Super Saiyan brat were let loose, and it was largely thanks to the frustrating abomination that stood in his way. Her eyes were still fixed on him, waiting, analyzing—pissing Genome off to a degree he never knew before.

"You see that this battle is turning against you," Nina pointed out. Genome scowled harder at her, which did nothing to break her passive look. "Once your forces are depleted, the others will return to support me. Then we will support Gohan, and Cooler, if they need it."

"You think it'll be that easy?" Genome reached down, causing his power to spike higher on the rise. "You think my father...no—you think _I_ will be defeated so easily?! You have no idea...the true power of PERFECTION!"

Nina prepared to move, but a barrier projected around Genome's body to shield him. His body began to glow brightly—his muscles swelling and expanding. He refused to lose. He refused to allow anybody to be stronger than he was! Only his father—only Cell was greater than he. The pinnacle of perfection, the image of his father, with the genetics and powers of the galaxy's strongest warriors, pushed far beyond their limits.

Genome's head grew larger, wider—jaw expanding with the overall size. His shoulders expanded, the black bio-armor expanding into pointed spikes, a smaller, second pair of wings sprouted beneath the first, and small spikes began to rise up across his legs, biceps, and chest. The red son was closer to his father's height, with more muscle mass, and a more frightful appearance.

"This will be more difficult," Nina observed. The refined, tempered fighter transformed into a hulking, frenzied looking brute. It echoed with vague familiarity. Another memory—a feeling rather, that wasn't her own.

Genome roared as he blitzed forward. Nina charged her body back to maximum—rocketing past as her red psuedo-aura lit around her. Despite his size, Genome was faster—even faster than Nina. She was blindsided when his fist came slamming into her head like a wrecking ball. The impact threw her into the sky, tumbling end over end. The Android stopped herself, facing down, but Genome was already gone. She turned immediately, shielding her head with both arms braced against the hulking bio-warrior's fist crashing down on her again. Even past her limits, Nina strained against his strength. She was left open to Genome's leg sweeping into her side—throwing her once again.

Defense wouldn't work. Offense definitely wouldn't work. Nina wasn't even sure how long she could stall against such an oppressive power.

Everything inside of her roared in protest as Nina pushed herself further. Every muscle in her body strained and threatened to tear under the pressure of the extra output she pushed for. It was the absolute limit—the limit she could reach without her body giving out on her completely. There was no telling how long Nina could fight at such unknown levels.

Genome came at her, striking before she could even stop. Nina spun around quickly enough to swat the fist aside, and counter with a blinding strike of her own. Her fist crashed into Genome's chest, creating a shockwave that pushed the brute back. The attack only stunned, and angered, him as he growled in fury. Nina's strained limitations were enough to fight back. She could work with that much.

He swung with blinding intensity. Nina reacted immediately, ducking under the strike, then vanishing as a second came ripping at her. Genome stalled, stunned by her speed momentarily. She dropped on him from behind—her sneakers slamming hard into the back of his neck. The brute shouted in pain before his face went crashing into the ground. Nina quickly disappeared again as Genome spun around with another furious swing that tore through empty air. Instead of waiting for her again, he moved to pursue.

On a full offensive, Nina resorted to complete evasion. It was less demanding on her body, and she managed to stay just one step ahead of the infuriated fighter's attacks. He didn't lack for speed, but his movements lacked subtly. His speed became irrelevant when she deduced the tells of his body before he struck—which were much more exaggerated due to his increased size. The continued, successful evasions only served to anger the mutated brute. He pushed faster, but his movements got sloppier. There were plenty of opportunities for a counterattack, but Nina refused to take a single one. Genome's anger made him dangerous, and she was already on an unknown time table. Stalling was the best option. Even a single mistake would be the end of her.

Genome threw his fist at her head, and Nina ducked below the strike, and moved along the length of his oversized arm. She moved behind the brute and shot forward to put as much distance as she could between her and the monster before he pursued. After the first dash, she spun around and fired a barrage of bombs at Genome as she fell back. The red bio-warrior charged like a rampaging bull into the onslaught, and endured every explosion that ripped across his body without slowing down. Nina continued the futile effort as Genome stormed toward her, closer and closer. At the last minute, Nina vanished from sight and took off into the air, as Genome's massive fist came smashing through the ground. The berserk fighter snarled and turned his eye skyward.

Nina had a fair bit of distance between herself and Genome. She could see the anger etched on his face, but noted his hesitation to blindly rush her again. He was slowly realizing that his efficiency against her was lacking.

In an instant, Genome vanished from Nina's sights. She was a breath late in following what faint movement she did pick up, and turned into a furious, flying fist that smashed against her jaw, and sent the Android soaring into the ground. She hit with a shattering impact, tossing up dirt and debris as her body tore a trench through the earth. The grinning monster opened his right hand, and charged a dense energy bomb. He clenched the orb tightly, pouring more energy as streams of light tore from between his fingers. The red energy blast was sent sailing across the trench, right where Nina had crashed. The orb hit, and expanded violently to consume everything in its wake, searing through rock and earth to form a smoking hole in the ground.

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, there remained a single glowing light at the bottom of the crater that had formed. Nina swiftly dropped the barrier, and moved quickly into the nearest cloud of dust for cover, just as Genome appeared on the ground to finish her off. With her physical body stressed, and Perfect Genome's power on the rise, her chances of victory were slipping further out of her reach, as was her survival.

She quickly and quietly fled further away as soon as Genome had his back turned. He didn't notice until she was gone—hiding in one of the sinkholes created by the horde's emergence. At the very least his focus was still on her, and that meant he would waste even more time searching for her. All she had to do anymore was just stall.

* * *

The battle of legends continued to shake the ground, and spark the air around the mountainous region. Cooler and Cell were locked in an unending brawl, both exchanging blows that did no real damage, as they were blocked or dodged entirely, each and every time. The Arcosian's altered Fifth Form was proving to be more of a match against Cell's perfection, a fact that grated the Bio-Android's nerves almost as badly as Cooler's calmness. He could sense that the proud prince was giving it his all to keep up, but his false facade of control showed no indications that he was struggling. A perfect poker face.

Cell quickly ducked down and pulled back as Gohan appeared and attempted to sideline him with a drop-kick. The Super Saiyan turned around with a smirk, facing Cell as he reappeared several meters in front of him. Without missing a beat, Cooler planted his hand firmly on the Super Saiyan's back, and shoved Gohan toward Cell with all his might. A golden comet blitzed towards the Bio-Android, who took the full brunt of Gohan's fist slamming into his jaw. The blow had Cell reeling, but he quickly pulled himself together to defend against the Saiyan's assault while he recollected his marbles. He finally retaliated by swinging his leg toward Gohan's side. The Super Saiyan pulled away from the blow, but firmly locked it down in his unbreakable grasp. Cell scowled and cocked his fist back to wipe the smile off of Gohan's face, but another force came crashing down onto him all at once.

In an instant, Cooler knocked Cell out of the sky and drove him straight into the ground with both fists digging deep into his chest. The impact shattered the ground around them as giant slabs of land rose up violently. Cell bounced against the earth, but before he could rise up too far, Cooler pulled himself back, leg coiled up to his chest, and dropped back down with full thrust. His foot slammed into Cell's chest and shoved him back through even more solid bedrock. The Bio-Android's pink eyes were hazed over from the pain, but still managed to see a blue wave of energy coming down at him, after Cooler vanished from his blurry sight.

Gohan's following Kamehameha struck home, and detonated with an impressive destructive force. The Super Saiyan warrior gave a small sigh before Cooler joined his side again. They dropped back down to ground level together, staring patiently at the cloud of smoke that had emerged from Gohan's attack. When the smoke started to clear, they were witness to Cell on his knees, one hand to the ground, as the other had been blown away with the rest of his arm, and part of his side and wing. He looked up at his opponents with a furious glare, bearing his teeth in rage before he attempted to stand up. Neither of them said a word as Cell shouted and regenerated the physical damage done to his body.

Despite the underhanded nature of having a partner on his side, Gohan couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Cell's odds. He knew from experience that two against one was never a fair fight. But Cell deserved every last bit of punishment he and Cooler dealt to the Bio-Android. For Launch, for Vi, the Resistance, and their Android allies. More importantly, for the sake of peace.

"You're both...cowards!" Cell shouted. "Neither of you—NEITHER, could defeat me alone!"

"Is that an admission of defeat?" Cooler asked, raising a finger at Cell. A purple beam tore across the distance, but was immediately smacked to the side by a furious backhand. Cooler scoffed with disdain as Cell seemed defiant on going out quietly. "So, you do have some fight left. Are you going to expend your energy complaining or are you going to fight?"

Cell answered by throwing six energy discs forward, one at a time, and followed up with a series of accurate Death Beams aimed between said discs. The beams served to separate Gohan and Cooler, and the discs moved apart to chase them further away still. They curved and pursued their targets relentlessly, following the movement of Cell's hands before he vanished from sight.

Gohan spun around as the Death Saucers shot past him, narrowly missing his edges. Cell appeared in front of the attacks and stopped them with a wicked sneer. The Super Saiyan pulled to an immediate halt in the air, and pushed himself back while unleashing a trail of energy blasts. Cell retaliated by hurling the discs back, which sliced through Gohan's retreating assault before disappearing again. The hero quickly moved higher into the air, right where Cell appeared to kick him straight in the face. Gohan was sent straight back into the path of the three Death Saucers he tried to avoid.

He allowed himself to drop out of the air like a brick, narrowly falling beneath Cell's deadly technique, rather than try to stop himself and get shredded. The first two purple blades sawed through the edges of his golden hair, as he charged a dense orb of energy in his palm. Gohan spun around and hurled his arm in the air, and fired a concentrated blast straight at Cell. The Bio-Android raised his arms up to brace himself against the painful explosion, but endured with minor damage. The smoke was thrown aside as Gohan came rising up with a burning golden aura around him, and drove his fist up into Cell's chin. The tall green warrior was rocked back, but quickly gained his wits as the Super Saiyan closed in on him.

Cell pulled back and quickly moved his hands to recoordinate his Death Saucers, as both Gohan and Cooler were doubling back towards him. The Super Arcosian rolled over and looked down—staring back at the energy discs chasing him as he fired beams from his scarlet eyes three times with perfect accuracy. He completed the roll and blasted straight for Cell, who quickly moved the three saucers chasing Gohan to chase him off for a moment.

The Perfect Bio-Android and the Super Arcosian broke into a violent skirmish, with the latter pushing heavily against the former with a slow, steady momentum. Gohan quickly turned around to watch the movement of the discs that followed him. He looked quickly and then lifted his legs and twisted his hips to spin in a horizontal corkscrew-spin through the the Death Saucers, and moved behind them in one fluid action. Without delay, Gohan threw three separate, small bombs, just enough to detonate the attacks before blasting off to rejoin Cooler.

Cell landed a blinding cross and a powerful hammer fist into Cooler's stomach. The Super Arcosian doubled over in pain, leaving his back wide open as Cell raised his fists high to bring them crashing down on his spine. Cooler dropped out of the sky and crashed straight into a rock formation. Cell charged a Crasher Bomb—the city-leveling finisher used by Duke Nudoru of King Cold's Nudoru Unit—in his palm and hurled it down at the would-be king. The pile of rubble Cooler was buried under was blown apart as a bright blue beam fired up and crashed into the turquoise orb. The Crasher Bomb suddenly expanded several times its size as Cooler's one-handed beam, the Polar Lance, pushed against the oppressive bomb steadily. Above the struggle, Cell wore a a sour expression as Cooler held his ground with one free hand, just waiting for Cell to make the next move.

His focused anger left Cell open as Gohan's fist came crashing into his jaw—knocking the Bio-Android out of the air. Cell caught himself and shot an infuriated glare up at the smug looking Super Saiyan above. "You still think you could beat me on your own, Cell? I'll show you that I don't need Cooler to defeat you!" Gohan's power rose sharply as his golden aura became heavier and burned brighter, caused by a sudden flash of light that flickered in the distance for the Resistance fighting miles away. Cell charged his aura just in time as Gohan came crashing down on him, and started a blitzing skirmish with renewed vigor.

Cooler roared as he pushed out more of his power to overwhelm and send the Crasher Bomb soaring straight into the stratosphere. He powered down and shifted his eyes to the two clashing golden auras that smashed through rock formations like mounds of loose dirt. Just from watching, it was easy to envy the power the Saiyans managed to muster on their own. Even on the brink—especially at the brink, they found more reserves to fight with. Gohan seemed more than arrogant in his statements. He was ready to give it all to stop Cell. For the moment, he seemed perfectly capable of doing so. Perhaps there was nothing a Super Saiyan could not accomplish.

At the height of the Arcosian Empire, Empress Arctriza was recognized as the most powerful figurehead of the South Galaxy. To see her toppled and her legacy thrown in the gutter, Cold believed himself and Frieza to be the strongest in the universe—practically gods. Demons of terror, more like. Cooler shared their flaws in arrogance, and nearly risked in sharing their demise as well. The Super Saiyans toppled what the universe itself thought was the apex of power on the mortal plane. Rather than risk his life against it, Cooler sought to learn from the new level of power—the new evolution. The Saiyans, few as they were, had become more than just filthy monkeys. Gohan in particular had done more to earn Cooler's respect than the family he sought to avenge.

There would be time for Cooler to challenge Gohan to see who was the strongest, but on their own terms. And when Cooler made a name for himself as something more than just the cruel successor of his father's corrupt influence. When he had something more for himself than a lineage built on failure.

Gohan and Cell's skirmish slowed when they exchanged powerful, hammering blows that pushed the two fighters back. They recovered just as quickly, and switched to dodging, blocking, and countering with less success in breaking the other's guard. The winds lashed violently out from their shifting and raging auras, thunderous echoes blasting out from the impacts traded by the two warriors. Gohan's fighting spirit pushed him harder, and he poured every ounce of that momentum into his blistering brawl. He drifted right to avoid a kick Cell had aimed for his face, and circled around behind him. Gohan drove his fist under Cell's arm, slamming his knuckles into the green warrior's ribs with crushing force. The Bio-Android shouted and bent to his left, leaving his right exposed as Gohan spun around and lashed his foot out in a vicious spin-kick that sent Cell crashing through three rock formations before his body smashed into the ground.

The Super Saiyan dropped his aura and let out a winded sigh before he felt his partner descending from on high nearby. Cooler came down to Gohan's level with his arms crossed, and his eyes fixed on where Cell had been knocked away. "Were you just...watching?"

"Observing," Cooler corrected without missing a beat. He shifted a glance back to Gohan before turning his eyes and body back toward Cell. "You don't need me to defeat him, remember?"

Gohan let out a nervous, humored laugh, "Okay, I was bragging. And after that, I think I definitely will need your help."

Cooler smiled, unfolded his arms, and lowered them to his sides just before Cell came ripping out of the ground a distance away from them still. The furious fighter was practically red with rage that he tried to stoke quickly. His arrogance lead to fury, and his fury would serve to blind his focus. Focus was arguably Cell's greatest talent. He had outwitted or outclassed anyone on his way to attain his perfection. Now that he had it, the threat to his title of the Perfect Warrior was at stake. Surely if he were perfect and all powerful, two warriors he's bested before shouldn't be able to threaten Cell. Just like how a filthy monkey couldn't overthrow Emperor Frieza.

"I have a plan," Cooler said, with his smile keeping. Gohan looked over and watched as his partner floated ahead of him. "Wait until I have one of his hands occupied. That's when you strike." Without further explanation, Cooler flew forward to confront Cell, leaving a confused Gohan behind. The green warrior pushed his snarl down to a frown when confronted by the former prince. "What the Super Saiyan said has got me upset now. I'll prove to him how outclassed he is by destroying you myself!"

Cooler charged up first, flaring his roaring blue aura. Cell countered by powering up his golden aura to match, and lunged forward to meet the charging Super Arcosian in the middle. Their fists mets, colliding together with an earth shaking impact.

* * *

Getting the wounded to safety quickly became their main concern once the tides had turned to their favor. The heavier combat units worked on pushing the horde back, while infantry and civilian units did their best to recover the injured, and pull them back to safety. Trunks and Nico were among defensive duty, or cleanup detail, protecting and defending the runners that risked their lives to save the others. The Armored Squadron helped lead the main force in pushing the remaining hordes back and eliminate them for good. Without the Genome brothers, the horde was little more than an overwhelming numbers that were easy for Super Saiyans, Androids, and elite fighting forces to cut down in scores. Even before they joined the others, the Resistance held the Cell Horde at bay.

Trunks decided it was time to settle things for good. He ran towards Nico as she blasted a mob of drones that were trying to rejoin the main group. "Hey, go take point."

She turned her head with a questioning look in her eyes, "Why?"

"Tell the Armored Squadron to go back Nina up. Once we clear this, we go make sure we end Cell for good." Nico tightened her fists with anticipation. He took it as a good sign when she vanished from sight to speed toward the battlefield without delay.

Trunks powered up and looked across the damaged remains of a larger battle, speeding across the fields in a golden streak that pummeled or obliterated the remaining bio-warriors. The Resistance had to worry about their numbers, and Trunks worked to clear out the lingering threats that weren't herded with the main horde.

Nico blinked across the battlefield, and soared over the Resistance's front lines in a single jump. She fired a concentrated pink beam of energy that ripped through a group of bio-warriors that were brave enough to start a retaliation charge. She landed and broke out in a perfect stride, firing more energy blasts ahead of her to bombard the front lines of the horde. With one final push, she broke into an even faster stride, pummeling and tearing her way through the bio-warrior's ranks. When she started to slow through their denser numbers, Nico started to moving between slower, heavier strikes, and lightning-fast movements as she twisted and turned through the different variants of drones, warriors, and beasts. Nico crouched down low and then jumped into the air, throwing her hands out to the side, unleashing twin beams that split a line through the horde. The young Android tapped in deeper, and with a furious shout unleashed a second wave that doubled the size and range of the pair of pink beams.

With a scorched clearing around her, Nico lifted into the air to make sure she had the Armored Squadron's full attention. "Hey, go stop the last Genome! I'll handle this." She could just barely make out the unanimous smirk on the team's face before they blasted off. Nico looked at their destination, and admittedly felt worried when she saw the hulking red monster in the distance. Trunks had his reasons for trusting the Armored Squadron. He definitely knew something Nico didn't though.

* * *

Nina managed to stay just one step ahead of Genome, who had long lost his temper at her evasions. He started blasting and smashing his way across the complex maze of tunnels she lost him in until she was finally forced to the surface.

The behemoth broke through the ground with a bellowing roar, and fists raised high. Nina quickly flipped backwards again and again to avoid the range of force from Genome's fists hammering into the earth. He moved on her as the earth trembled and broke apart as it shifted between them. Nina made herself as small as possible, crouched down, and crossed her arms to brace herself against the titantic fist that smashed into her. The impact threw Nina into the air—sending her tumbling end over end. Genome appeared behind her and sent Nina smashing into the ground with another punishing strike. She slammed into the earth with such force that the ground fractured and broke apart, throwing rock and dirt high into the air. Genome raised a hand above his head and gathered a foul, dark orb of black and purple, crackling energy which expanded to the size of a beach ball.

Nina shoved the rubble on top of her to the side and looked up at the large Death Ball looming in the air. It had more than enough power to pulverize a dozen cities—maybe even damage the planet permanently. She had to stop it.

"DIE!"

Genome lifted his arm up high, raising the Death Ball with it. The instant Nina gathered enough energy to try and retaliate, she spotted movement that severed Genome's arm in a flash. It happened so fast that the bio-warrior himself barely registered it as he cast his half-arm down with anticipation. His and Nina's eyes both followed the streak of light that did the deed to Salza's empowered energy blade. Genome moved an inch towards Salza before a dark green comet came crashing into the one-armed creature. The hovering Death Ball started to descend on its own, but was instantly captured in a strange, electrified energy field. Upon closer examination, Nina could see that the field was causing the Death Ball to shrink gradually in size.

"Good catch, Neiz!" Salza cheered as he turned to face the destructive energy sphere. He backed up, taking position a fair distance away before charging up his blue aura.

The crimson Zaltian was wrapped in the same unique, pink field of electric energy around the Death Ball, which he focused through through his right arm and out of his two longest fingers to create the neutralizing field. "Just...a little more...!"

Dore managed to keep Genome at bay with the element of surprise, a handicapped advantage, and the increasing pressure from the additional control and power he could draw from his Heat Burst ability. He kept up one long, continuous shout and assault, always disappearing and striking from new, random angles, pushing his body beyond their absolute limits that only made him stronger still. The former galactic wrestling champion excelled at defeating the best in one-on-one combat—even opponents larger and stronger than himself. Genome wasn't anything new he hadn't faced in the ring before.

Salza extended his arms out wide, bringing his left across in a straight line in front of him while his right moved upward in a slight arch. When both hands aligned in the middle he stopped, then brought his right hand down on top of his left. He focused with absolute concentration, and with a furious shout unleashed a powerful energy wave against the Death Ball. Neiz's Binding Field was broken around the sphere, which gained some of its size and power back after being freed. However, Salza's Flash Force carried relentless momentum that pushed and carried the Death Ball far beyond the Earth's atmosphere before the beam died out. The sudden and forceful exertion left Salza a bit winded, but he had more than enough left in the tank to blast off to help Dore. Fortunately, someone else was already moving toward the target.

Genome shouted as he grabbed Dore by the throat, finally ending his vicious assault. The monstrous bio-warrior was large enough that he practically dwarfed the hulking Beppan. The red monster finally regenerated his severed arm, pointed and primed to run Dore through in one thrust. An instant after Genome grew a new right hand, his left was severed by a blinding blur of red motion. He shouted in pain and frustration, but was silenced when Dore brought a savage, heated left hook across his face that threw Genome off balance.

Nina came down on the opening Dore's hit provided, smashing both feet into the top of the larger creature's head. Dore dropped lower with Genome, only to drive a brutal uppercut that lifted the bio-warrior back up into a disorienting spin-kick from Nina. Dore continued to work the low ground, blitzing forward to deliver a short, but powerful blow to the gut. Genome cried out and doubled over, just as Nina flipped over his back, hands securely under his jaw as she came over his head, and yanked down as forcefully as she could. The massive red monster was pulled and thrown over Nina's back, and straight for the ground with tremendous force for a fighter so small. Genome went tumbling down and collided with a heavy impact that shattered and shook the ground. Dore panted lightly as his Heat Burst continued burning before he looked over at Nina. She looked back at him with an even expression, despite the dirt and scuffs on her face and clothes.

"That...all you got, kid?" he asked the Android, trying to sound big.

"No." Nina didn't understand that Dore was staking the pride of himself and the squad on this. When they first arrived, they could barely keep up with the weakest Androids on the planet. Now they had to surpass the most advanced model to date. Nina just had no earthly concept of what 'competition' meant.

On the ground below, Genome came blasting out from under the pile of rocks and dirt he was buried under, and went screaming straight for Nina. His fury and rage prevented the bio-warrior from catching Neiz to the side, who lined up his shot for the Bind Wave with sharpshooter accuracy. The pink wave hit Genome in the air just before Nina would have been forced to engage him, and stopped the red menace in his tracks. He shouted and roared in protest—quickly breaking the wave with his own anger and strength. The brief delay was all that was needed though, as Salza came dropping down with a stronger, larger energy sword so powerful that his whole aura charged the blade, and channeled through both arms. It was the very technique he used to scar Cooler's chest in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber—named after a legendary greatsword in Brench mythology. Excalion.

Nina and Genome both wore a look of shock on their faces, but for completely different reasons. Genome had been sliced clean down the middle, which gave the bio-warrior a split image of Salza that slide further and further apart with his eyes. Nina was caught off guard simply by the tactile coordination and timing displayed by the elite team. Even with her processing power, she barely noticed Salza in time—not to mention Neiz going unnoticed until the last second. And with all her potential and strength, it was all she could do just to endure Genome, while the Armored Squadron's prowess managed to stop the mutated monster cold. Nina realized that perhaps teamwork could overcome a single individual's shortcomings. Strength in unity.

Salza brought his arm up and quickly swiped it across, then downward at an angle, then up, across, down, over, back, up, over, across, down, up, again and again as he swiftly carved Genome up piece by piece until there was nothing but floating bits left. He moved back with Nina, charging a sparkling white energy in his hand—one that matched the attacks Dore and Neiz were preparing.

"Let's finish zhis! Gentlemen!"

They each pulled their arms back, causing the energy to sparkle and glow in their hands. "The Armored Squadron's," as one, the trio threw their hands forward and unleashed their simultaneous attack on the remains of Genome, "LIGHT SHOW!" The beams collided in the middle, erupting in a violent and dazzling explosion that incinerated every last molecule of Perfect Genome's remains.

Nina watched the end of her fearsome opponent in silent awe before looking to her saviors. Salza looked back at her, admittedly rather proud that he had to—and successfully did—rescue their prodigal creation. "Nina," he greeted with a winded tone. "I'm Salza."

"I am grateful for the assistance," Nina said with a bow of her head. Dore and Neiz joined them, both sporting cocky, knowing looks at one another. Still, she was blissfully unaware of any potentially hurt egos around her. "Your teamwork is superb. The three of you are very well trained."

"We're the best damn team in the universe," Dore boasted. Nina's eyes widened as she took Dore at his literal word. The newborn Android didn't have much else to compare to when it came to teamwork, and the Armored Squadron had already blown her away.

With the threat eliminated and everyone accounted for, Salza's senses turned him to the mountains in the horizon—the battleground for most powerful fighters to walk the Earth, if not their entire galaxy. Neiz and Dore could sense it too. Cooler was fighting against Cell. Alone, again. But this time was different. They could sense Gohan as well, and Gohan wasn't the type to sit around for no good reason when he had enough strength to fight. Not when they were all so close to victory. But Cooler didn't have the best track record when fighting against Cell alone.

"Shall we assist?" The squadron looked among themselves when presented with the question they were all wondering themselves. Did Cooler and Gohan need their help? _Could_ they even help against Cell?

"No," Salza said. He was divided on the choice, of course, but something said he could trust his instincts. Cooler, or at least Gohan, knew what he was doing. Gohan especially wouldn't let the fate of the planet ride out on a grudge match. "Let's return to zhe previous battlefield. We can still do some good zhere."

"Understood," Nina replied with a brisk nod. She flew off back toward the settlement, where the last of the Resistance forces were taking on the final pockets of bio-clones.

Salza folded his arms and turned toward Dore and Neiz, who just stared blankly at him. "Well? Zhe new girl follows orders better zhan zhe both of you."

"New girl?!"

"Oh hell no!" Dore powered up and blasted off ahead to catch up. "No Android is taking my pose in the squad!"

"Hold up, you idiot!" Neiz was quick to follow his comrade. Salza just smirked at how easy his men were to jump into action. It wasn't like they would be able to take the Android with them when returning to space. Still, it was good for them to have competition.

He turned his head back, giving one last sense out toward the true final battle ahead, being fought by their strongest warriors. Salza had his doubts, but Gohan still had enough energy to fight, and so did Cooler. So did Cell, which meant that they had something planned. He just hoped that whatever they were planning would work.

"Give him hell, sir," Salza whispered, feeling a familiar sense of hope in his master that he prayed wasn't misplaced again.

* * *

The two fighters tore across the ground, exchanging, trading, and deflecting blows from all sides against the other. Cell managed to find an opening and threw a punch straight for the center of Cooler's chest. The Arcosian vanished from sight, and lunged in from behind Cell, who also vanished. Cell reappeared above, and attempted to retaliate, but was an instant too late as the former royal vanished.

Their battle took to the air, storming across the clearings between mountains and rock formations, dashing and colliding together at high speeds, and with great momentum. Gohan stood a safe distance away, arms crossed, following Cooler's movements as he kept pace with Cell. Part of the Super Saiyan wanted to think that Cooler held such an edge over Cell due to the fight he personally dragged out. But judging by the conservation of his movements, and power, Gohan had to guess that Cooler would have held his own just as long by himself. Maybe even a little longer. Thinking of the power Frieza and King Cold threw around half a lifetime ago, Gohan wasn't too surprised at the power Cooler had reached in such a short time by himself. If an Arcosian could reach such a higher tier of strength, then so could Gohan. He continued to watch and wait for the opening Cooler told him to act on. Maybe the royal was just stoically enjoying the fact he was driving Cell mad.

Cooler was sent reeling back by a punishing blow to the jaw, but he kept one eye fixed on Cell as he pressed his advantage. He swiftly caught the Bio-Android's next fist in mid-flight, and countered with his own cross punch to the side of the head. Cooler held onto Cell's fist, and swiftly dealt two more blows before the Bio-Android retaliated with a straight punch aimed for his face. The Super Arcosian pulled his head back just enough to feel the wind off of the strike, narrowly missing it, releasing Cell in order to fully dodge. Cooler quickly spun around, swinging his leg out wide at Cell's head. The Bio-Android ducked quickly as the attack missed, and swung cleanly over him. Cooler wore a look of shock as Cell grabbed him by the tail and spun around as quickly as he could. He swung him around in rapid circles before letting go, sending Cooler spiraling across the air.

He recovered quickly—slamming to a stop against the end of a durable rock formation, and bounced back off toward Cell quickly. The green fighter swung his arm out, making it extend out in length to grab Cooler. He twisted around to avoid Cell's hand, and increased his speed to close the distance quickly. Cell pulled his other hand back, but was too slow to attack as Cooler's fist came ramming into his stomach. The impact carried Cell higher into the air as Cooler raised his weight into the blow, causing the green warrior to double over, coughing up a mouthful of purple blood.

Cooler pulled his fist back, and delivered it to Cell again, smashing his knuckles against the stunned fighter's face. Cell was sent reeling, but barely had a moment to regain his wits before Cooler was on him again. He was barely able to defend against the relentless onslaught, but was still forced back to keep what little bit of a defense he had up. Cooler wore a silent scowl while his eyes bored into Cell just as relentlessly as his fists. One powerful punch Cell had to block with both arms, but still broke his guard anyway, and pushed him back even further. Cooler disappeared, rather than rush forward, and moved behind Cell. The Bio-Android was one step ahead of his foe, and quickly swung his fist backward to strike him out of the air.

Cell swung through nothingness, leaving himself exposed as Cooler launched a straight-kick into the Bio-Android's stomach. The impact bent Cell over again, stunning him with a second brutal blow in practically the exact same spot. Cooler gave Cell a moment to clutch his stomach as more blood dripped out of his gawking mouth, eyes bloodshot with pain and fury. After that moment, Cooler spun around and slammed another savage kick that threw Cell back across the air again.

Cooler charged a concentrated white-blue orb in his palm while Cell tried to catch a gasp of air with his head scrambled. He launched the Polar Lance—a bright blue wave of raw energy that tore through the air. Cell quickly raised one arm up and fired an energy wave with all of his power. The two forces slammed together, with Cell's holding against the Polar Lance.

Gohan spotted the opening, and quickly moved into action.

The two beams of blue and gold energy pushed against each other violently, pushing out harsh, violent winds that ripped across the air. Cell had stood upright after recovering from the devastating blows to his stomach, managing to hold fast against Cooler. They both strained to overwhelm the other, but refused to use a second hand so long as the other held back. Cell's genes told him the about the ploy of engaging the Polar Lance—and the fact it was a one-handed technique was a crucial factor.

"Ka..." A cold, jagged dagger of fear pierced Cell's back before he turned his head around to see Gohan floating in the air behind him. "Me..."

"NO!" He momentarily dropped his focus, and lost precious ground to Cooler's attack. Cell looked back to see the Arcosian smirking on the other side of their exchange. This— _this_ was their plan! "DAMN YOU!"

"Ha...!" Cell roared and lashed his other arm out at Gohan, sparking his own aura to unleash another full power energy wave in the opposite direction, at the Super Saiyan. "Me..." The golden glow of the Burning Super Saiyan was drowned out by the blue radiance of a full power Kamehameha Wave. More than enough to compete with Cell's attack. "HA!" Gohan fired the blast down at his foe, meeting the energy wave halfway. The towering Bio-Android roared furiously at the sudden resistance, and pressure pushing down on him. Cell poured all of his focus and energy into pushing back against both of his enemies, but could barely make them budge.

Cooler pulled his extra hand back, charging an identical orb of energy to the one he was already pushing. He combined the second wave with the first, shouting furiously as he unleashed the full power of his grandfather's titular technique. The second blast spiraled around the first, fusing together to form one larger beam about halfway up. It slammed hard into Cell's right beam, pushing back on him ferociously.

Gohan shifted his legs and pushed down with his shoulders, shouting as he poured all of his strength forward. The Kamehameha Wave blistered down harder, pushing heavily against Cell's left side.

The Bio-Android was trapped in the middle of two oppressive forces, unable to match the strength of both super forces together with his own power divided. Cell shouted and screamed at the top of his lungs, his aura exploding as he tried valiantly to hold his ground. Gohan and Cooler both gave one final push—one final roar to close the distance.

"No...! NO!" Cell shouted defiantly as the two beams of blinding blue energy came crashing down on him together.

The Polar Lance and Kamehameha—both signature techniques of those who came before—met in the middle, pushing through Cell's energy waves, and erupting a violent explosion on contact. The blast was blinding, and devastating, forming a massive crater that was filled with dirt and smoke. Cooler unleashed one more all-encompassing blast to turn the scorching crater into a smoldering hole in the ground.

All remained quiet as the two remaining warriors descended to the ground, landing on either side of the hole. They sensed, watched, and waited, but nothing happened. Nothing rose up from, or lived in, the deep grave. When the smoke cleared, Gohan and Cooler both met the other's gaze across the distance.

In the very first instant, Gohan wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his enemy turned uneasy ally. He wondered how often his father second guessed Vegeta—if ever. Cooler made the first move, floating over the crater between them, arms down, eyes staring past Gohan as he took position next to the Super Saiyan. He was the first to power down too, reverting from his new, altered Fifth Form to his lesser, base form. Gohan followed in kind, and his body thanked him with a complete, unanimous groan across every muscle, joint, and fiber of his being. Despite the ache, he could still hold himself on his own two feet, standing eye level with Cooler.

"Your people have nearly finished clearing Cell's army," Cooler said, nodding in their direction ahead. Gohan turned around and pushed his senses forward. Only a few lingering powers remained, but whatever awful armada Cell had prepared was all but destroyed. "I am without a ship to leave this planet."

Gohan laughed at the remark as he turned his head toward the stoic royal. After a moment's pause, Cooler finally shifted his gaze to meet his comrade's. A lingering pause was not what Gohan was expecting as he stared at the Arcosian's piercing red stare. "You don't wanna fight me?"

"In your current condition? Your ward would stand a better chance than you."

"Won't argue with that." Another moment of silence passed between them before Gohan finally decided to start walking forward. "Is that all you want now? A ship?"

"There are other matters that require my attention," Cooler said as he joined the Saiyan in stride.

His curiosity was piqued, namely about the change in Cooler, and what such important matters could be. Something told Gohan that it wasn't something as boring as ruling an empire. "All setup to be king?" Couldn't hurt just to be sure.

"Rather the opposite." Gohan stared right at him, but Cooler didn't look back. "A king is given their title. I will earn mine, and not by following in my father's footsteps like my brother did."

Gohan nearly stopped, but since Cooler didn't, neither did he. "You...aren't going to be the emperor of the universe?"

The Arcosian just shook his head with a look of resentment in his scarlet eyes. "No. Frieza and my father built their empire on the bones of my people's destruction. They were only allowed to keep their power by the grace of the gods." Cooler clenched his fists in anticipation of his new goal—to end the shame and disgrace to his family's name. A name he personally had no right to carry anymore. He was no worthy Arcosian prince, definitely no king or emperor. All he could amount to anymore was a warrior, plain and simple. A warrior with aspirations for more than to just be another arrogant despot. "The torment and destruction caused by my family ends. My people weren't perfect, but Frieza and Cold were the worst of us." Cooler recognized that he was barely any better than the two he held in such contempt. But now he had a chance to change the fate every member of his family has already suffered.

"What...what did you do when you left?"

Cooler lowered his gaze, offering a soft hum to Gohan's question. It was a fairly personal answer, but also a fairly simple question given to him. Cooler turned to his ally, searching for some look of patronization or cruelty, but only found a curious, patient stare on the Saiyan warrior's face. Perhaps his interest could be more than just idle curiosity.

He looked away from Gohan, "That is...quite the story. Perhaps another day," Cooler offered. "Let us enjoy the victory we have for now."

There was an answer Gohan could support, but his own personal curiosity wouldn't let it rest. He just huffed, but offered only continued silence. It wasn't like Cooler had anywhere to be until Bulma built him a spaceship anyway.

* * *

The battle outside was drawing to an end, finally. The last of the wounded were being treated and brought back to safety, while the remaining threats were taken out with surgical precision. The Earth practically hummed to life beneath Hercule's feet as more and more of Cell's Horde started blinking off. It had been ages since he had felt such a measure of peace—and from the planet itself, no less. Perhaps the most solemn acknowledgment of their victory was when Hercule felt the presence of Gohan and Cooler coming back to them, with one overbearing sense of evil scrubbed from the face of the planet. Cell was gone.

"You sense it too?" Hercule looked to his side and saw Mr. Popo standing next to him. His newest friend had provided combat support, largely focusing on keeping the most persistent insects from getting through their defenses. Popo was definitely a terrifying presence when he wanted to be. "The others would have sensed it as well."

"I can't believe it," the former champion admitted. "I mean...it actually feels like it's over." Across the battlefield, he could sense the others, near or far, high or low.

Bulma had joined the medical teams in an effort to coordinate and direct people accordingly. She didn't have much experience in the medical field, but she had patched up Gohan and Trunks enough times to know what she was doing—not to mention her natural leadership skills as a whole. Nobody could command a room of people like Bulma, except the late Launch herself. His own daughter, Videl, was helping to bring the last of the wounded back behind friendly lines, and preparing to recover their dead. At least, what remained of their fallen. The horde, like their predecessor, consumed bio-matter, and didn't leave much whole. Suno and Eighter led a large cleanup crew to make sure there were no stragglers or bio-bugs still clinging to life out in the battlefield. The final teams to push back the enemy were being led by none other than Mai, her daughter Sho, and Aoi—all the newest leadership in the Resistance, all with no shortage of followers themselves.

The Resistance didn't lack for confidence, or for bravery in the wake of their clear victory. They had been inspired time and time again by the tremendous events happening around them—good and bad. Powerful new heroes and allies that fought for them, that showed them again and again that the Androids weren't invincible. Humanity had been shown that they could fight and accomplish just as much as their heroes when they worked together.

Not that the heroes themselves lacked in any of their efforts. They were at the forefront of every new nightmare and abomination that crawled out of Gero's lab. The Red Ribbon Androids, the Devil's Pair, Android 20—Cell himself and his terrifying transformations, and subsequent army of horrors. The heroes were of course at the front of the line to put an end to Cell's creations once and for all.

* * *

The Armored Squadron flew quickly and with coordination among the last scores of monsters, relying on their teamwork and specialized talents to put the maximum amount of hurt with as little effort as necessary. Unfortunately, their flashy tactics were upstaged by the unending stamina and energy of the Androids, Nico and Nina, who flew straight through the remaining horde. Salza, Dore, and Neiz floated in place, gawking at the display of brutality and raw power shown from the new Android pair. Before they could act on the urge to show up their rivals, a golden streak shot past them to jump into the fray personally. Trunks rained down a storm of energy blasts that closed in around the horde, and caused Nico and Nina to flee before getting caught in the crossfire. By the end of the bombardment, there was only a number of stragglers left behind.

"MINE!" everyone—except Nina—shouted, releasing six beams of energy all on the same targeted area. The beams struck together, creating an explosion that shattered the earth, and vaporized anything caught in the blast radius.

"Is achieving victory first some form of contest?" Nina asked, turning toward Nico. The shorter Android smiled at the explosion before turning to her sister. She cast her eyes past Nina, and right at the rather sour looking trio in the Armored Squadron next.

"Boys like to compete," Nico explained smugly, knowing she was just as guilty of competing against Trunks namely, and later the others. "It's nice to have a woman's perspective though."

"I am an Android though."

"A woman Android."

"Does that hold significant relevance as well?"

Nico's smile widened, "None." Trunks came down between the two teams, bringing both teams together almost immediately. When they were a little closer together, Nico noticed that Dore and Neiz's unruly glares seemed to be aimed at an otherwise indifferent Nina. "What's the plan from here?"

Trunks and Salza had their heads turned north, bringing everyone's gaze to the same direction. It took Nico longer than the rest to notice—between their ability to sense energy, and Nina's enhanced perception—but two figures could be spotted crossing the valley from the mountains. At least she knew immediately that it was over when seeing a Saiyan and an Arcosian walking together in victory. The heat from Trunks' Super Saiyan form died out almost instantly, giving a true impression of peace over the group. Nico took a look at her sparring partner who shared his smile with the heroes in the distance, likely with one of them in particular.

She woke up to a desperate world without hope, now she had a future with friends and allies to look forward to. Maybe life as an Android wouldn't be as miserable as Nico feared—especially not if she could keep up with Super Saiyans. With the addition of Nina, and the complete destruction of Doctor Gero's final horror, any negative sentiments against Androids in general were bound to disappear. The future didn't seem so dark after all.

* * *

Gohan and Cooler came close enough to see the people celebrating and cheering. It was a new sight for Cooler—to see people excited for his arrival. Even Gohan's smile couldn't break his stoic expression though. "Are you going to stick around? We had a hell of a party last night. I'm sure tonight will be even better."

He hummed in thought. "We'll see."

It wasn't a no. "This is more than I could have hoped for," Gohan said. Cooler remembered the Saiyan's words last time they were together. Without his arrival, without his reluctant aid over the last two weeks, what chance would Gohan and humanity have fared against the their threats? The Red Ribbon Army, the Devil's Pair, Android 20, Android 13 and the rest, and finally Cell. Threats that Gohan nor Cooler could have overcame individually—ones that they had barely overcome together. The idea felt more real in light of their victory. Their final victory. "You still want to have that fight for the strongest in the universe?"

"No." He knew that answer immediately. It was a little insulting when Gohan looked genuinely surprised by his response. Cooler had long put the title of strongest of the universe behind him. That no longer mattered to him. "I plan to leave this planet alive."

Gohan opened his mouth to say something, but stopped—stopped immediately. Cooler sensed it too. Something...dreadful. Something impossible.

The power exploded with enough force to push against Gohan and Cooler—pushing waves of wind and dust in all directions. They transformed—Super Saiyan and Arcosian, but it wasn't enough. Even together, it wasn't enough anymore.

His power continued to rise, and push harder against Gohan and Cooler as it moved closer. Soon, the dust parted to reveal the new face of their old adversary. Green colors had replaced by a flaring red, his body taller, bigger, carrying a striking resemblance to the imposing appearance of a Super Arcosian. His the fins on his head carapace sprouted two narrow horns from the base of his skull that pointed up, giving the red warrior the appearance of a twisted crown on his head. His black shoulder pauldrons pointed out, growing a secondary layer of armor with spikes covering it. The arms and much of his lower body were covered in the same points, and spikes, with two more spike-fins on the backs of his forearms, and legs.

A sheet of expressionless, sightless scarlet eyes began to burn with malice, as a twisted smile formed on Cell's face. "Ah...what a time to be alive."

* * *

The horizon was darkened out by a single, golden star burning against the earth. Every one of them could sense the dark, raw power raging in the distance. It was too much—too much for any of them. They couldn't stop...whatever that was.

But Trunks blasted forward anyway. Nico, Nina, and the Armored Squadron pursued him. They knew they had to do something. Anything they could do to stand a chance.

They pushed onward, against the raging storm of impossible power. Trunks pushed faster—burning extra energy to meet the demand.

* * *

Cell smiled casually as his eyes burned with intended cruelty. Neither Cooler nor Gohan were prepared for his speed—when all the pressure and wind stopped in the blink of an eye. Cell stepped forward, flashing in a blinding streak of light, striking both of his enemies from behind before they could sense his presence. The force of his strikes sent Gohan and Cooler crashing into the ground. They were quick to rebound, rolling into the momentum to push out of the trenches. Cell sneered wickedly at their panicked expressions.

"You know, you've both taught me something...so very important. The wretched nature in underestimating your foes." Cell chuckled gleefully. "Then again, you both learned that from me, didn't you?" Raw, twisted malice turned his grin into a psychotic smile. "Allow me to show you how much I appreciate the lesson, gentlemen."

"Gohan!"

"Right!"

Gold and blue exploded side by side as the warriors blitzed forward as hard as possible. Cell waited for the challenge to come to him. He burst with twisted laugher as they three of them tore across the plains with tremendous speeds. Cell simply moved and pulled himself around each and every strike, not blinking, not missing a single movement as Cooler and Gohan continued their relentless assault against him. All their speed, their power, and coordination it was nothing to the red terror. He proved as much when he finally pulled back quickly enough to escape their reach entirely. They didn't miss a beat. They took one powerful stride forward, and each fired raw beams of energy that twirled together and ripped across the ground. Cell reappeared ahead of the beam's path, arms crossed and a smile on his face as he made no effort to evade or defend.

The attack struck head on with tremendous force. The smoke cleared, only to reveal Cell unmoved, unscathed. Gohan and Cooler blinked in behind the pinnacle of perfection and swung at him together. He predicted their every moved. Cell dropped his head forward and threw his feet back. His giant boots slammed into the Super Saiyan and Arcosian's ribs—and sent them sailing high into the air.

Cooler caught himself first, and then Gohan. He looked over at his Saiyan ally. He had been fighting for too long, and now Cell was back and stronger than ever. Stronger than both of them. Gohan still didn't hesitate though, and it hastened Cooler's resolve.

Cell remained in the air, tilted forward, slightly upside down with his head facing the ground. He was goading them to attack. They had no choice but to take the bait as they lunged back to the ground. Cell vanished just before they could strike—appearing right where they had come down from. They were much faster to react. In the blink of an eye they ripped through three-quarters of the distance.

Just as quickly, with no movement, no buildup, Cell blasted two searing, scorching red beams aimed lazily from his palms. The beams burned with such intensity that the light darkened out everything else. They tore so fast that Gohan and Cooler hardly had time to register it before the energy waves hit the ground in an instant, shaking it apart with its power—its intensity.

Cooler somehow managed to pull himself desperately out of the way, close enough to feel the heat from Cell's attack. It took him a moment to register his own survival, and another to sense the sudden drop in a particular energy signature. Cooler's heart nearly stopped when he looked over to the other beam that ripped down Gohan's entire left arm, burning it away from his body. When Cell's attack faded, Gohan dropped out of the air, his golden hair dropping with him and his energy.

"No...!"

Before Cooler could move, he was stopped when a terrifying red form blocked his path. Cell smirked as he turned his full attention to the Arcosian warrior. "Oh...I think this is going to be a very familiar experience for both of us."

Gohan was out of the picture, and he was faced with certain death. Cooler reached down and willed whatever strength and power he could force to the surface. His power grew, booming to life with a ferocious, proud roar. It was only enough to make Cell's smile widen. Enough to draw him into futile little game.

The fallen hero plummeted out of the air like a brick. He threatened to crash into the ground, until a swift blur moved to catch him. Nina spun around with her back against the momentum, holding Gohan's wounded body close, keeping him as stable as possible in her arms. When she finally came to a stop, her eyes moved across his body to discern the worst of the damage.

"GOHAN!" Trunks nearly crashed himself into the ground, tumbling into a broken stride onto his hands and knees in front of Nina. He looked at Gohan in horror, specifically at his disfiguring, scorched side. "Gohan...G-Gohan!?"

"He is dead." The young—the final Super Saiyan looked up at Nina. She focused on those frightened, broken young eyes that silently pleaded for any other result, gazing back without a flicker of emotion. "I am sorry..."

"No..."

"His battle with Cell drained too much of his power. He never stood a chance." Nina's face betrayed no sign of emotion, in stark contrast to the weeping youth in front of her. She continued to stare coldly at the young, broken child. "He is gone, Trunks."

"No..." Nina watched the boy carefully—watched him as he recoiled from the sight of his fallen mentor—his friend. She saw the pain, the anguish in his face as hot, frustrated tears ran down his face. There was a slight shift in the air, almost like a faint static that Nina detected. Trunks' eyes still overflowed with tears, but the thunderous clashing behind the boy reminded him of the real threat.

Trunks threw his head back and cried out in anguish to the heavens above. That static sparked to life like a raging storm across the air around the Super Saiyan. Something primal, something deep inside of Trunks ripped itself savagely to the surface. His golden power burst around him, flowing and behaving erratically. Trunks rose up to his feet and screamed again as his power began to soar with his anguish. Nina quickly moved herself and Gohan out of immediate danger as the young Saiyan's soul exploded to life.

The air pushed out violently from the new rising power—launching gale force winds to lash out all around. The ground shook relentlessly and crumbled beneath Trunks' feet, with deep cracks splitting and spreading across the earth. With one final, broken shout, Trunks' rage and compassion twisted together and snapped into a frightening new transformation.

A bolt of lightning was pulled from the sky and crashed down on the young Super Saiyan, and ignited his hidden power. A new wave of energy rose up and burst from Trunks' body, awakening something entirely new that angrily burned away the tears from his eyes.

Nico raised her arms up to block against the violent winds thrown against her, and the Armored Squadron. They were all focused on the sudden explosion of anger and pain that they didn't notice the movement beneath them. The only thing that drew their attention away from transforming Super Saiyan was a sudden, and harmless, ball of energy that flew up between the Armored Squadron. Something specifically to get everyone's attention.

"I need assistance to save his life!" Nina shouted over the winds. There wasn't much time left to save Gohan.

* * *

Cell had only managed to get his hand around Cooler's throat when something new grabbed his attention. A power that rose quickly and suddenly that it could not be ignored. The Super Arcosian choked and gasped as he griped Cell's forearm, but he quickly became the least of the Bio-Android's concerns.

"This...brat's power..." Where was he hiding it? How was he so strong? It didn't matter. He would die along with his mentor. "It's your lucky minute, Cooler. Because you really won't get more than that." Cell released and disappeared in an instant, making his way to confront the new power that thought it could challenge him.

A new breed of Super Saiyan had been born. The equally new Bio-Android stood in the wake of the raw, unmatched power of the Super Saiyan 2. Trunks' aura rolled off of him in waves, crackling angrily with pure, concentrated fury. His power was impressive, maybe even sporting, but it was more than what Cell was willing to deal with. The furious red being powered up with an aura similar to the young hero's.

Trunk's face twisted into a vicious snarl as he flung himself forward. Cell raised his arm to defend against the savage blow—impacting with explosive power. He was pushed back—artificial boots tearing trenches deep into the ground under the force of of Trunks' attack. Cell fired a pair of beams from his eyes that tore through the Super Saiyan whelp. Tore through an afterimage, as he discovered a second later. Another explosive hit struck Cell from the back of his head, and launched his towering form back the way they came. He bounced and skipped across the ground, again and again. Cell flipped around and landed his feet planed, dragging to a stop.

Both fully powered warriors launched themselves into combat, and collided with equally intense force. Two electrically charged auras pushed together as the combatants turned and circled in a close, blinding assault. Trunks found his footing in the air, sticking close to Cell's center, using his smaller, faster size to focus on the towering monster's middle. Although Cell's size didn't mean he lacked for speed, and their power equaled out.

Cell shifted back, defending with one arm as he pulled the other back to summon an energy blade to life. He stabbed it forward, and Trunks avoided it by moving his head to the side just enough while moving in with an open hand. There was less than an inch between Trunks' palm and Cell's face before the former fired a devastating blast at point-blank in a moment. The explosion sent the towering menace stumbling back with a frustrated snarl. Trunks pressed the advantage, roaring, flaring to life as he pushed as furiously as possible. Cell pulled back quickly, and was forced to endure a barrage of lightning-fast blows that hammered all over his body. He finally swung his leg in an upward strike to retaliate, but the boy avoided it again. Cell twisted around and drove his fist down, right where Trunks reappeared, and smashed him into the ground.

The ground splintered and cracked apart as levels of rock raised out from the point of impact. Cell quickly drew his other massive hand back and charged an orb of raw golden energy in his palm. With a finishing shout, Cell pushed the attack down to obliterate the boy—only to have another energy blast tear out from the ground to match his power. The close-range beam clash tore even more rock and ground away from them, creating a crater around the brightly lit conflict. The clashing powers pushed and pulled against one another, before finally unleashing a devastating blast that expanded into a blinding orb of gold light.

The two super-powered fighters appeared across from each other, just outside of the blast radius that cast their shadows across the empty field. "That form...that power...what the hell is this?" Just a week ago, Trunks had unlocked his Super Saiyan transformation for the first time, and now he had unlocked a brand new form? A new form with the power to match Cell's might no less.

"I don't know," Trunks admitted, "And I don't care." Earth's final hope stared at the towering red Bio-Android with a hardened, steely gaze. "I won't let you hurt anyone else. I'm going to kill you, here and now, Cell!"

* * *

 **Ugh, who else misses Dragon Ball Super? I totally miss Dragon Ball Super. It's not quite DBS, but have some DBZ fanfic that I've spent maddening amounts of time working on. What's that? Oh, yeah, future Gohan losing an arm, huh? And the teenage successor unlocking SS2? Who could have seen any of that coming?**

 **Two more chapters. Nuts, huh? After a year+ of battling fickle muses and depression and life, I've almost got this son of a bitch done. That being said, I apologize again for the long waits. For whatever it's worth, a great deal of my brain power and effort goes into planning the future stories...I'd say almost more than the actual stories, but here I am going on almost twenty chapters, with over 22 hundred words so...I guess I'll let you be the judge of where the most work goes?**

 **That being said, I've decided to change my lineup for my fanfiction stories (I know I've kinda talked about it in the past, but this is for sure what I'm doing now). So, originally I was going to have two, what I would have called filler stories to fill in the necessary timeskip between Cell and Majin Buu. Well, instead, I'm going to push my story telling skills and NOT the audience's patience, and jump straight into Buu, and make necessary nods to previous storylines as necessary. All I can say is, I plan on going over the important stuff as it arrives, but I don't want to write out two entire new stories, one of which would probably be about as long as this one, easily. So instead, we're doing the important stuff. Cell, Majin Buu, Battle of the Gods meets...oh, I won't get too far ahead of myself though. Trust me though, I've planned for Dragon Ball Super era stuff in the next two stories though, because having all this hindsight and content to use as a viewer is just fantastic.**

 **So for the next two chapters, I'll give more teasers as to the future of this storyline. Next chapter, once things have settled down and the fighting stops, I'll get more into the details of the two between stories I was going to write to sort of make the big changes between the two stories softer for you guys (because there are gonna be some changes before this story is even done), including future characters, the villains they faced, basic general information without spoiling future plot details. They're called teasers for a reason guys. BUT! For my final chapter, I want to reward you guys with a decent chunk from the sequel to build up the hype. I'm thinking something with the heroes getting together again, or something with the rather sizable cast of villains I have prepared, or perhaps something more plot driven, but I think I'll save it for NEXT chapter when you guys get a better idea of where things are going before I ask what you want to see xD**

 **As for this chapter, uh...I can't think of much that needs discussing? I'll be honest, most of my Dragon Ball Muse is going into future storylines. I refuse to check out this close to the finish line, but my motivation is definitely ahead of me. Just wait until we get where I want to get with this madness. I also kinda rushed editing so...forgive any glaring mistakes. If there are any present, please point them out so I can get around to fixing them. Anyway, if you're reading this, as always, thank you so much! Reviews feed my addiction to writing, so thank you for the all the support!**


End file.
